Boeing exec among 11 shareholders elected to Deere board

Among the 11 members of the Deere & Co. Board of Directors elected by shareholders at the Wednesday, Feb. 23, virtual shareholders meeting is the board’s newest appointee, Leanne G. Caret. Ms. Caret, who joined Deere’s board on Nov. 1, 2021, is executive vice president of The Boeing Co. and president and CEO of Boeing […]

Among the 11 members of the Deere & Co. Board of Directors elected by shareholders at the Wednesday, Feb. 23, virtual shareholders meeting is the board’s newest appointee, Leanne G. Caret. Ms. Caret, who joined Deere’s board on Nov. 1, 2021, is executive vice president of The Boeing Co. and president and CEO of Boeing Defense, Space & Security. In 2020, Boeing's revenue from defense and space platforms and services was about $35 billion, John Deere said in its Nov. 1 news release. As part of its continued COVID-19 pandemic precautions, the Moline-based Deere held its 2022 Annual Meeting of Shareholders exclusively online for a second year in a row. Shareholders voted on the slate of directors by internet, telephone, or mail. The shareholders meeting comes less than a week after Deere reported income of $903 million, or $2.2 per share, for the quarter that ended Jan. 30, 2022. The incumbent board members also overwhelmingly approved by shareholders were Board Chair John C. May, chairman, CEO and president, Deere & Co.; Tamra A. Erwin, executive vice president and CEO, Verizon Business Group; Alan C. Heuberger, senior investment manager, Cascade Asset Management Co.; Charles O. Holliday, Jr., retired chairman and CEO, DuPont; Michael O. Johanns, retired U.S. senator from Nebraska and former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture; Clayton M. Jones, retired chairman and CEO, Rockwell Collins, Inc.; Gregory R. Page, chairman, Corteva, Inc.; Sherry M. Smith, former executive vice president, and chief product officer, SuperValu Inc.; Dmitri L. Stockton, retired special advisor to chairman and senior vice president, GE, and former chairman, president, and CEO, GE asset management; and Sheila G. Talton, president and CEO, Gray Matter Analytics. According to Deere’s 2022 annual report and proxy, the board’s current makeup is 45% female and ethnically diverse. Broken down, that’s 36% female directors and 18% ethnically diverse directors. In previously announcing Ms. Caret’s appointment, Mr. May said, "She brings over two decades of executive experience in aerospace, defense, and security, adding to our diverse, talented group of directors. Her background in complex systems as well as innovative technologies, solutions, and services will be of particular value as we build on our leadership position through our smart industrial operating model." The Florida native joined Boeing in the late 1980s, Deere said. Her positions there also included president of Boeing's global services and support division and chief financial officer of the defense, space, and security business. Ms. Caret, who holds a bachelor's degree in business administration from Kansas State University and an MBA from Wichita State University, was named five times to Fortune's list of Most Powerful Women. She earned certifications from executive leadership programs at Harvard University and the University of Notre Dame. She is a member of the Women in Aviation Hall of Fame, a fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society and an associate fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. Ms. Caret currently serves on the following Deere board committees: executive, manufacturing insight, technical and data analytics, finance and risk management.