Worldwide Engineering and Manufacturing Leader at John Deere
Adel A. Zakaria earned a master’s degree and a PhD in industrial engineering in 1970 and 1973, respectively. After starting his career teaching engineering at the State University College of New York, he joined John Deere in 1976 as a staff engineer, focusing on developing software for machine parts, machine-tool utilization, and computer-aided process planning. In 1995, Zakaria was promoted to senior vice president of engineering and manufacturing for the Worldwide Agricultural Equipment Division at John Deere. Zakaria's leadership resulted in the successful launch of 250 new products, contributing to a doubling of sales to $7 billion annually. In 1997, he was instrumental in achieving a historic labor settlement between John Deere and the United Auto Workers. Purdue recognized him with an Outstanding Industrial Engineer Award in 1998 and a Distinguished Engineering Alumnus Award in 1999.