Looking forward to a healthier future

Kanti admits this is true for his company, but said he believes the performance-based system at Bayer makes the company competitive in terms of remuneration with a positive culture to help talent develop professionally.

Although the new leader at Bayer HealthCare China seems confident in his management ability in China, the emerging market is still a place with opportunities and challenges. As Vice-Premier Li Keqiang said, the country's reform of its healthcare system has entered "uncharted waters", which can be taken to mean there are many uncertainties in the market.

China's market is changing rapidly due to medical reform, economic development, increasing incomes, as well as rising consciousness about health.

Kanti said the company will make progress as the market evolves, but he himself does not really want to change much at Bayer HealthCare China, "as it already has a lot of talented people, capability and focus on execution".

China is carrying out an ambitious reform of the healthcare system. Between 2009 and 2011, the central government invested 1.24 trillion yuan ($199 billion) in it, 391 billion yuan more than the original plan. Spending in China's pharmaceutical market hit $71 billion last year, ranking it as the world's third-largest market. The figures were $27 billion in 2006, ranking the country ninth in the world, according to a report from McKinsey & Co.

However, the starting base in China is lower than in developed countries, with medical expenditure making up about 5.1 percent of the nation's gross domestic product in 2011, compared with 17 percent in the United States and 10 percent in the United Kingdom.

"The Chinese government is aiming to build up expenditure on and access to medicine for the Chinese people to the same level as in developed countries, so the opportunity for growth is much higher," said Kanti.

"On the other hand, we don't want to underplay the challenges we face as health reform is happening and significant changes in the industry are taking place. We have to challenge ourselves to be ahead of the curve over these changes," Kanti said, adding the company's respect for flexibility also involves being ready to take different approaches to work, taking in new ideas, and looking at how people can build on them.

Bayer HealthCare China has maintained double-digit growth in the emerging market over the last decade. It's expecting sustainable growth in the nation.

"We occupy the leading position in key cities and want to expand to the lower-tier cities," said Kanti.