Item 5.02Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.
Election of Chief Financial Officer
Deere & Company (the “Company”) announced that its board of directors (the “Board”) has elected Rajesh Kalathur to the additional role of Chief Financial Officer, effective May 31, 2022. Following the effectiveness of the election, Mr. Kalathur will hold the roles of President, John Deere Financial and Senior Vice President, Global Information Technology and Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Kalathur replaces Ryan D. Campbell, who has been elected by the Board to the position of President, Worldwide Construction & Forestry and Power Systems.
Mr. Kalathur, 53, has served as the President of John Deere Financial since 2019. He also served as the Company’s Chief Information Officer from 2018-2022. Prior to these roles, he served as the Company’s Chief Financial Officer from 2012-2019. Mr. Kalathur joined the Company in 1996 and has held positions with increasing responsibilities in finance, business development, logistics, operations, and marketing before becoming a member of the senior leadership team in 2012.
In connection with his new role, Mr. Kalathur will receive an annualized salary of $887,758, an increase of five percent. Mr. Kalathur will continue to participate in the Company’s short-term incentive (STI) and long-term incentive (LTIC) cash plans that will payout based on the Company’s Operating Return on Assets (OROA), Operating Return on Sales (OROS), Return on Equity (ROE), Shareholder Value Added (SVA), and Total Shareholder Return (TSR) during the relevant performance periods. The target award under the STI plan for Mr. Kalathur for the fiscal 2022 performance period will be $887,759, an increase proportionate to his salary increase of five percent. Mr. Kalathur’s STI rate as a percent of annual base pay remains at 100%. Mr. Kalathur’s target award under the LTIC plan for the performance period ending in fiscal 2022 will be $932,147, an increase proportionate to his salary increase of five percent. The LTIC rate as a percent of annual base pay remains at 105%. There are no changes to Mr. Kalathur’s equity awards that were granted in December 2021 under the long-term incentive (LTI) plan.
Awards for Mr. Kalathur under the incentive cash plans are based in part on base salary during the performance periods. Actual payouts likely will differ based on actual Company performance during the performance periods and any additional changes in salary. Other benefits available to named executive officers are described in the Company’s proxy statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on January 7, 2022, and which descriptions are incorporated herein by reference.
There are no family relationships or related party transactions between Mr. Kalathur and the Company or any director, executive officer, or person nominated or chosen by the Company to become a director or executive officer.