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.
2021 Fellows Award Winners
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.
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2020 Fellows
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Public Relations
Dr. Gilles Dryancour is viewed as a tireless advocate for John Deere's interests on legislative and regulatory issues throughout Europe. He is credited with nearly single-handedly transforming the industry’s key trade association in Brussels, Belgium, home to the European Union.
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Virtual Engineering
Wissam El-Ratal has proven himself a passionate visionary in Virtual Design Verification (VDV) for the Global Tractor Platform. He uses VDV to select design concepts through the concept selection process. His efforts 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 the crop protection industry, as well as seed and genetics. Her experience includes biomass handling and cellulosic ethanol as well as developing a path toward the strategy to achieve 300-bushel an acre corn yields and the study and implementation of nutrient application placement.
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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. His passion for agriculture and a pioneering spirit have enabled Redden to be on the forefront of machine learning. He is a preeminent expert in the field and a leading mind in applying deep learning to agriculture and control systems.
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Power Electronics Engineering
Dr. Brij Singh has demonstrated success in the application of advanced power electronics over his 12-year career at John Deere. Singh is a highly renowned teacher, mentor, and researcher with a decorated history of leveraging valuable funding opportunities to accelerate his work.
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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. His 40-year career is highlighted by his ability to deliver solutions in areas of new technology where no tools for development and troubleshooting were available.