The Deere & Company Board of Directors has elected John C. May as Chief Executive Officer, effective November 4, 2019. May has served as Deere’s President and Chief Operating Officer since April 2019.

Current CEO Samuel R. Allen will continue as chairman of the board of directors after he steps down from the CEO position. 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, Worldwide Agriculture & Turf Division, with responsibility for the Americas and Australia, the global harvesting, turf and utility, and crop care platforms, and intelligent-solutions group.