10 Things You Didn’t Know about Deere CEO Samuel Allen
Samuel Allen is the current head of Deere & Co., which a lot of people might better-recognize as the business with the brand name John Deere. Currently, Allen is both the Chairman and the CEO of the corporate colossus, which are positions that he took up in 2010. This can be considered the culmination of a long career, seeing as how Allen has been with Deere since he graduated from university. Here are 10 things that you may or may not have known about Samuel Allen:
1. Samuel Has Two Potential Meanings
Samuel is interesting in that it has two potential meanings. First, it can mean “name of God.” Second, it can mean “God has heard.” With that said, Samuel is a name that saw little use in the Christian world until the Protestant Reformation, with the result that it is now popular in a wide range of cultures in a wide range of countries.
2. Allen Is Celtic in Origin
Allen and its variants are Celtic in origin. For example, it might have come from Ailin, which means either “little rock” or “harmony” in Scottish and Irish Gaelic. Likewise, it might have come from Aluinn, which means something along the lines of “handsome.”
3. Born in Sumter, SC
Allen was born in a place called Sumter, which can be found in the state of South Carolina. Originally, Sumter was a plantation settlement called Sumterville, named for a general of the American Revolution. However, it has since seen numerous changes, with an excellent example being how it turned into an industrial center in the 20th century, which was connected to its status as something of a hub for the local region.
4. Went to Purdue University
Education-wise, Allen went to Purdue University, which has a reputation that speaks for itself. He came out with a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Management, which is a sub-section of Business Administration that focuses on the structures of industrial companies.
5. Started At Deere in 1975
It is interesting to note that Allen has been with Deere for decades and decades. After all, he started out at the corporation in 1975, at which point in time, he was an industrial engineering. Since that time, Allen has risen far, as shown by the fact that he is now both its Chairman and CEO.
6. Has Extensive International Experience
Over the course of his career, Allen has accumulated significant experience when it comes to international business. For example, he has worked in Deere’s Worldwide Agricultural Division, with the result that he has worked in places that range from East Asia to Latin America. Likewise, Allen has had leadership roles when it comes to John Deere Power Systems’ global operations.
7. Chairman of U.S. Council on Competitiveness
Besides his role at Deere, Allen is the Chairman of the U.S. Council on Competitiveness, which exists for the purpose of making the United States more competitive in an economic sense on the international level. As such, the nonprofit brings together leaders from various spheres to engage in dialogue, runs programs with various degrees of relevance to its primary aim, and makes recommendations to the relevant parties.
8. On the Board of Directors for Whirlpool
Speaking of which, Allen serves as a member of the Board of Directors for Whirlpool as well, which would be the corporation that specializes in making home appliances. With that said, while the Board of Directors has the responsibility of overseeing the running of corporations, they tend to have what one might call a hands-off role because the actual day-to-day running is entrusted to the executives that they appoint. As a result, it isn’t uncommon for CEOs to serve on the Boards of Director for other corporations as well.
9. Has Expressed Concern about Trump’s Tariffs
Considering the international scale of Deere’s business, it should come as no surprise to learn that Allen has expressed concern about how that might be impacted by President Trump’s tariffs. In part, this is because the tariffs have impacted the prices of various materials, meaning that Deere has had to make some quick changes. However, Allen has also expressed concerns about the impact on American agriculture because of economic retaliation from countries that would otherwise be eager buyers of American agricultural products.
10. Has Maintained a Sense of Optimism
With that said, Allen has also maintained a sense of optimism that Deere’s best days are in the future rather than in the past. After all, it has overcome its fair share of challenges in the past, meaning that there is reason to believe that it will continue to do so even if it encounters temporary setbacks in the present.
