Johane Domersant, Deere’s DEI global talent leader

As leader of global talent acquisition and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) strategies at John Deere, Johane Domersant plays a key role in recruiting top-tier talent.

“We have to be an organization whose workforce represents and reflects the world in which we operate and can help solve the myriad of challenges that impact people and our planet,” said Domersant.

The firm said that recruiting and developing the right combination of people is imperative to John Deere’s strategy and at the core of its values.

“The best way to drive innovation to the fullest extent is to ensure we have broad representation of different backgrounds and perspectives in the room because the reality is that diverse companies operate at a faster pace, drive unique solutions, and do so at a higher profit margin. They just do,” said Domersant.

Born in Haiti, Domersant came to the U.S. at age 15. After finishing school and earning her degree, she practiced law for 14 years and was a leader in global labor and employment at a Fortune 500 company for nearly a decade before coming to Deere in 2021.

A trial lawyer at heart, Domersant said she didn’t see herself moving into a role like the one she has now until she spoke with senior leaders at Deere and learned about the company’s strategic goals around recruiting world-class talent and fostering a workplace culture where people of different backgrounds and experiences belong and thrive.

After speaking with the company, Domersant saw opportunity in the challenge.

“What I am asked to do is push this global enterprise outside of its comfort zone as it relates to developing various strategies, whether it’s on the talent acquisition side or the DEI side,” said the talent leader.

“Sometimes being someone who has an outsider’s perspective really helps lay the groundwork for why we should have different strategies and different thought processes.”