2020 Fellow Award Winners
Rewarding Our Top Experts
In 2015, the John Deere Fellows Program was launched to give the highest level of individual recognition to employees who have contributed to the company's success through deep expertise in their functional areas, demonstrated leadership, and reputation inside and outside the company. It is the pinnacle of the Knowledge Leadership Path, an initiative that was launched in 2014.
Meet the 2020 Fellows
Leading Thinkers
Each year, we bestow our highest honor on the thinkers, leaders, and doers who steer us into the future.
2020 Fellows
Gilles Dryancour
Wissam El-Ratal
Sue Gray
Lee Redden
Eric Johnson
Brij Singh
Dave Smart
Public Affairs
Dr. Gilles Dryancour, director of public affairs in Europe, is credited with transforming the industry's key trade association in Brussels, Belgium, home to the European Union.
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Virtual Engineering
Wissam El-Ratal's efforts in Virtual Design Verification have enabled Deere to differentiate their products utilizing leading edge analytical tools and methods.
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Agronomy
Sue Gray has significant expertise in crop protection, as well as seed and genetics, which has brought key industry roles for Deere.
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Materials Engineering
Dr. Eric Johnson has deployed new technologies and processes, such as the use of additive manufacturing for tooling and service part application.
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AI and Machine Learning
Lee Redden is the co-founder of Blue River Technology, a company John Deere acquired in 2017, and a leader in applying deep learning to agriculture and control systems.
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Power Electronics Engineering
Dr. Brij Singh, a senior staff engineer for Advance Technology, has demonstrated success in the application of advanced power electronics at John Deere.
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Software & Network Engineering
David Smart has had his fingerprints on several key electronics software developments for more than three decades, including tractors, loaders, and precision farming.
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Great Leaders
It starts at the top. Smart people guiding other smart people--that's how we help our customers build a better world.
Meet our leadership team
2019 Fellows
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Innovation Delivery
August Altherr is a key driver of European innovation in agriculture equipment and has numerous patents to his credit. His work evolved into the 6R Series, considered as one of Deere's most successful tractor platforms and which is now assembled in five locations globally. Altherr helped establish think tanks of young engineers from top European universities to find innovative solutions for contractors and large arable farms, and key customer segments.
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Strategic Intellectual Property
Noel Anderson has 117 patents to his credit and is one of John Deere’s most prolific inventors. Anderson provides Deere with a distinctive competitive advantage by bringing together diverse and emerging areas of technical expertise into invention disclosures and patents. He has played a key role in the development, deployment, execution, and continuous improvement of the John Deere Enterprise Intellectual Property Strategy Process.
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Technology Innovation
Dr. Martin Kremmer is known for expanding the method for studying granular media in complex, moving 3D geometries and conducting fundamental studies on agricultural goods such as soybeans in mechanical meters of precision planters. He is named author or co-author in 40 invention disclosure and patent applications. Dr. Kremmer has been responsible for the overall vehicle concept design of all mid-sized tractors.
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Human Resource
Carol Lewis is a respected voice in employee benefits. Her efforts include working in Washington, D.C. on legislation or regulatory changes, educating employees on health care benefits, updating senior leadership on employee pension and post-retirement benefits, negotiating lower health care solutions, meeting with retirees, and mentoring employees. She was instrumental in deployment of a company-wide wellness program, navigating health care reform, and other benefit-related activities.
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Market Research
Dr. Adrian Rantilla has earned a reputation for applying research and analytics in sales and marketing. His insight and diligence has reduced costs in multiple programs through understanding customer motivations and behaviors. He is known for developing and cultivating strategic customer advisory relationships around the globe, adding value by focusing on how to solve the most challenging business problems.