Spouse(s) Patricia Political party Republican Party Role Executive | Name Robert Lane Children 3 | |
Born November 14, 1949 (age 74) ( 1949-11-14 ) Washington, D.C., U.S. Residence Chicago, Illinois, U.S. Alma mater Wheaton College
University of Chicago Occupation Former CEO of Deere & Company Education Booth School of Business (1974), Wheaton College (1972), University of Chicago Similar People Samuel R Allen, John Deere, Charles O Holliday | ||
Lincoln Academy 2013 Interview Robert Lane
Robert W. Lane (born November 14, 1949), served as Chief Executive Officer of Deere & Company from 2000 to 2009 and retired as the Chairman of the board in February 2010. During his tenure the revenues of the company more than doubled. He is currently serving on the boards of The Northern Trust Company, General Electric Company, BMW AG and Verizon Communications. He was ranked 10th by Forbes Magazine’s Top CEOs based on compensation in 2009.
Contents
- Lincoln Academy 2013 Interview Robert Lane
- Early life and career
- Career at Deere Company
- Awards
- References
Early life and career
Lane was born in Washington, D.C. in 1949. He graduated with high honors from Wheaton College in Illinois in the year 1972, and he went on to receive a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business in 1974. Lane joined First National Bank of Chicago after his MBA. He served in the capacity of Vice President when he quit the job in 1982.
Lane joined John Deere in 1982, followed by a career in banking and served Deere in leadership positions in its global construction equipment and agricultural divisions as well as at Deere Credit, Inc. During his 28 years at Deere, Lane held positions of increasing responsibility across a wide variety of domestic and foreign units. He was named Chief Executive officer on 1 June 2000. He was also a trustee for the “committee for economic development”.
Career at Deere & Company
Lane came to Deere & Company in 1982 from a commercial banking career with First National Bank of Chicago. He held the position of vice president and branch manager for First National's Frankfurt, Germany, unit. On his first assignment at Deere, Lane was responsible for managing U.S. government and national account sales. In 1992, he joined the Worldwide Agricultural Equipment division as senior vice president where he directed equipment operations in Latin America, Australia, East Asia and South Africa.
Lane became Chief Financial Officer of Deere in 1996, and two years later moved to Germany as Managing director where he led Deere’s agricultural equipment operations in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, India and the nations of the former Soviet Union. He returned to the United States as president of the Worldwide Agricultural Equipment Division in 1999; subsequently he was elected Deere & Company’s President and Chief Operating Officer. In June 2000 Lane was named president and CEO of Deere & Company, and he was elected chairman of the board the following August.
Awards
Corporate Award by University of Chicago Booth School of Business, 2007
Chicago Bridge Award, 2007
Robert W. Lane was inducted as a Laureate of The Lincoln Academy of Illinois and awarded the Order of Lincoln (the State’s highest honor) by the Governor of Illinois in 2013 in the area of Business & Industry.