John Deere 2009 Annual Report Download - page 2

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2
Senior Management Team
From left: Jim Jenkins, Jim Israel, Dave Everitt, Jean Gilles, Sam Allen, Jim Field,
Mark von Pentz, and Mike Mack at the John Deere Forum in Mannheim, Germany.
His aim was to build a business at John Deere as great as its
products. By the end of Bob Lane’s nine-year tenure as chief
executive offi cer, most would agree that his vision had been
realized to a great extent.
With a strategy of exceptional operating performance,
disciplined growth and aligned high-performance teamwork,
Lane led the company to fi ve straight years of record
earnings. Net income topped $2 billion in 2008. Revenues
more than doubled between 2000 and their 2008 peak.
Even so, Lane was quick to point out that fi nancial results
are the product of other things done right. Under his guidance,
the company adopted standardized processes and practices,
from product development to quality, that helped Deere
achieve world-class status in asset effi ciency. The company
grew globally as well, making major investments in Brazil,
Russia, China and India, among other markets.
Lane felt strongly that the way to improve performance on
a sustained basis was through the efforts of employees,
dealers and suppliers working together in pursuit of a
common end.
Aligned teamwork, he said, was the glue that held the
strategy together and, further, produced a hard-to-copy
edge in the marketplace. “Talent that works well together
is the ultimate competitive advantage,” Lane stated.
“Companies that prosper and grow are ones that listen to,
engage and guide their employees.”
Perhaps Lane was best known for his unrelenting passion
for doing things right and his uncompromising spirit for
conducting business with integrity. He insisted that
employees apply “the how” in every part of their jobs.
Integrity in Lane’s view was a vital element of long-term
performance.
After 28 years of service, Lane leaves a company that is
well-prepared to capitalize on today’s promising global
opportunities and measures up well to the products
bearing the trusted John Deere name.
LANE PUT COMPANY ON SOUND FOOTING FOR FUTURE
ABOUT THE COVER:
“Feet on the Ground, Eyes on the Horizon.”
As John Deere extends its global presence
and pursues attractive growth opportunities,
it will build on the bedrock values, such as
integrity, quality, and customer commitment,
that have defi ned its success over many
generations.