John C. May
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
2019 – Present
7 years (current)
Key Decisions & Impact
John C. May became Deere's chief executive officer effective November 4, 2019, and later added the chairman role in May 2020. His major leadership decision has been to frame Deere as a smart-industrial company organized around customer production systems rather than only traditional equipment categories. That approach connects tractors, combines, sprayers, construction machines, software, telematics, finance, parts, and dealer service into a lifecycle model. May has also kept Deere investing in autonomy, machine learning, precision spraying, digital operations, and recurring service capability while managing a cyclical downturn in large agricultural equipment demand.
Legacy
May's contribution is making Deere's technology strategy commercially central instead of treating precision agriculture as an accessory to machines. His background in agricultural solutions and information technology helps explain why Deere under his leadership emphasizes Operations Center, machine connectivity, See & Spray, autonomous field work, and lifecycle support. He also has had to prove that Deere can preserve margins and dealer discipline when farm income, rates, tariffs, and inventories pressure new-equipment sales.