Deere elects new CFO

Deere & Company announced that its board of directors elected Josh Jepsen, 44, as senior vice president and chief financial officer, effective September 16.

“Josh’s broad range of financial and operational experience, along with his strong knowledge of our business and our Smart Industrial operating model, have prepared him well to serve as chief financial officer,” said John C. May, chairman and CEO of Deere & Company.

He is succeeding Raj Kalathur, who will continue as president, John Deere financial, and chief information officer. Jepsen assumed the duties of deputy financial officer earlier this year.

Jepsen has been with Deere for 23 years, having worked in a broad range of accounting and financial-analysis roles across the company’s manufacturing and North American sales and marketing operations.

He was also manager of commercial operations outside the U.S. and Canada for the company’s construction and forestry division. In addition, he served as controller for the Asia Pacific and Africa region, based in Singapore.

“He’s additionally established a strong record as an insightful leader, a champion of diversity, equity, and inclusion, and a proven cultivator of talent, all which will serve us well as we continue to focus on executing our strategy and delivering increased value to our stakeholders,” said May.

The incoming CFO recently played a key role in developing the company’s Leap Ambitions – goals designed to boost economic value and sustainability for Deere’s customers – and was instrumental in setting up the company’s sustainability organization, said the firm.

Jepsen joined Deere’s investor relations team as manager of investor communications in 2015 and became director, investor relations in 2018.