John Deere has appointed Deanna M. Kovar as president of its agricultural machinery business, effective 1 November 2023 beginning in fiscal 2024. Kovar will oversee Regions 1 (Africa, Middle East and Asia) and 2 (Europe and CIS), the presidency for the agricultural equipment business, and the turf businesses. She previously led the precision agriculture business unit.

Kovar will spend the remainder of this fiscal year familiarising herself with the new role in addition to her existing responsibilities. As of 1 November, she will then be given full responsibility for this post. Markwart von Pentz will assume an advisory role to CEO John C. May before his retirement in 2024.

Von Pentz has been one of two global presidents of the agricultural machinery business since 2007. In Kovar's previous position, she was responsible for the area of precision agriculture, and was instrumental in the company's transformation into a "Smart Industrial Company?? and in the introduction of the "John Deere Production Systems." In the transition phase to the new position as head of Europe, she will be trained by Von Pentz in the small and medium-sized agricultural machinery and turf divisions.