John Deere
Rewarding Our Top Experts
The John Deere Fellows Program is the highest level of individual recognition to employees who have contributed to John Deere's success through deep expertise in their functional areas, demonstrated leadership, and their reputation inside and outside the company.
At John Deere, we recognize and celebrate our innovative thinkers, leaders, and doers who steer us into the future and, with a shared higher purpose, enable lives to leap forward.
2022 Fellows Award Winners
Kurt Chipperfield
Staff Engineer, Virtual Reality
His small business owner approach to expanding VR's implementation benefits both customers and colleagues.
Clayton Janasek
Senior Staff Engineer, Product
His ability to turn simulation results into practical, real-life applications deepens customer trust and loyalty.
Rich Humpal
Engineering Manager, Application Technology Development
He’s taken an essential product line and turned it into a sustainability solution, making customers more efficient and profitable.
Lara Baugh
Director, Risk Management
She safeguards the company’s exposure to risk, allowing John Deere to become more innovative and aggressive.
Kent Wanner
Senior Staff Engineer, Electrification
He helps outpace the evolution of electrification, often bridging the gap between diesel power and the future.
2021 Fellows
Last Year's Winners
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Physics Electronics Materials
Dr. William F. Cooper, Advanced Engineering Manager, has benefited those who expect an industry-leading level of quality in John Deere products.
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Road Construction Technology
Dr. Günter Hähn, Senior Vice President Operations - Wirtgen Group, is the first Wirtgen employee to earn the honorable John Deere Fellow Award.
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Digital Technology
Gregory C. Finch, Principal Engineer, has been recognized for his leadership necessary to bring cloud adoption to John Deere.
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Heat Transfer & Fluid Dynamics
Steve Sass has proven so proficient in meeting customer requirements it's led to him being recognized as an expert of heat transfer and fluid dynamics.
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Crop Harvesting Engineering
Glenn Pope, known as "The Pope of Combines," has spent more than three decades understanding customer needs and aligning them to product development.
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Integrated Solutions
Dr. Georg Kormann, engineering manager for hay and forage Advanced Engineering and Tech Integration, has an appreciation for what customers want, expect, and even demand.