Deere Elects New COO, Other Leaders

Deere & Company announced Friday that its Board of Directors elected John C. May, 49, as president, chief operating officer. The appointment is effective April 1. May will be responsible for leading Deere’s efforts to maximize operational excellence throughout the company.

May has been with Deere for 22 years. He joined the senior management team in 2012.

“John’s record of success and proven leadership skills make him highly qualified for this broader role,” said Sam Allen, chairman and chief executive officer. “In addition, his leadership of the company’s precision-agriculture initiative and experience as chief information officer will serve him well as Deere moves ahead on its digitalization journey.”

Deere also announced the election of three other leaders to new positions effective April 1.

Cory J. Reed, 48, has been appointed president, Worldwide Agriculture & Turf Division, Americas and Australia, Global Harvesting and Turf Platforms, and Ag Solutions. Reed joined the company in 1998 and, most recently, has been president, John Deere Financial.

Rajesh Kalathur, 50, has been appointed president, John Deere Financial and chief information officer. Since joining Deere in 1996, Kalathur has held positions in finance, business development, logistics, operations, and marketing. Since 2012, he has been a member of the senior leadership team.

Ryan D. Campbell, 44, has been appointed senior vice president, chief financial officer. Campbell joined John Deere in 2007 and has held a number of management positions within the finance function. He became vice president and comptroller in 2016 and last year was named deputy financial officer.

Source: StreetInsider.com