Deere & Company announced the appointment of John C. May as CEO.
May, who has served as Deere’s president and chief operating officer since April 2019, will assume the CEO role on November 4, 2019.
May will take the place of Samuel Allen, who will continue as chairman after he steps down from the CEO role.
Allen says May’s experience in precision agriculture, information technology, and overseas operations “will be instrumental in driving the company’s digitalization journey and extending its success in agricultural and construction equipment.”
May becomes the 10th chief executive in the company’s 182-year history.
The 50-year-old May joined Deere in 1997 and became part of the senior management team in 2012 as president, agricultural solutions and chief information officer.
Last year, he was named president, of the Worldwide Agriculture & Turf Division. Earlier in his career, May headed the company’s China operations, served as factory manager at an Iowa Deere facility and was vice president of the turf and utility platform.