Human Flourishing: Theological Reflections on the High Calling of Business Leadership” will be the topic of the Max and Esther De Pree Presidential Leadership Lecture to be offered by Robert W. Lane, chairman of Deere and Company, on Monday, February 8, 2010, from 4:00 to 5:30 p.m. at Fuller Seminary's Travis Auditorium. The talk is free and open to the public.
 
To view a video invitation from Fuller President Richard J. Mouw, click here .
 
Robert Lane has served as chairman of the board of Deere & Company since 2000, and was also chief executive officer for nine years. He joined John Deere in 1982 and went on to occupy several management roles, including service in Germany where, as managing director, 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 and thereafter was elected president and chief operating officer of Deere & Company.

Lane, who holds an MBA from the University of Chicago and bachelor’s degree from Wheaton College, also serves on the boards of General Electric Company, Verizon Communications Inc., Northern Trust Corporation, and BMW AG. He is a trustee of the University of Chicago, an honorary director of the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago, a national director of the Lyric Opera of Chicago, and a member of the Trilateral Commission and the Council on Foreign Relations.

Deere & Company, also known as John Deere, was founded in 1837 and today is a world leader in providing products and services for agriculture, forestry, construction, lawn and turf care, landscaping, and irrigation, as well as financial services worldwide. Deere & Company was recently named to Fortune Magazine's 2009 list of Global Top Companies for Leaders, which ranks Deere 14th globally and 8th in North America among companies around the world.

The Presidential Leadership Lecture is named for Max and Esther De Pree, longtime partners of Fuller. Max De Pree served for 40 years on Fuller’s Board of Trustees, six of those as chair. Known for his leadership wisdom, he served for many years as chairman and chief executive officer of Herman Miller, Inc., and has authored several popular books on management and leadership. In 1996 the Max De Pree Center for Leadership was established to promote De Pree’s understanding of leadership and to extend his legacy.

For more information about the lecture, email cbeaton@depree.org.