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headquarters in
Ferguson, Missouri (a suburb of St. Louis). Farr aggressively moved Emerson production and design operations to low-cost, low-regulation environments outside the United States, particularly the People's Republic of China. Under Farr's leadership, Emerson laid off 14% of its U.S. workforce in 2009, eliminating nearly 20,000 jobs. While speaking at the Baird Industrial Outlook Conference in Chicago, in November 2009, Farr attacked the Obama administration for its attention to "labor rules" and "health reform", and stated: "What do you think I'm going to do? I'm not going to hire anyone in the United States. I'm moving." As a devotee of the St. Louis Cardinals baseball team, Farr was noted for swinging one five baseball bats he kept in his office to help him concentrate. He also used them to prod Emerson executives to speak during earnings calls.
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who had held the position for the previous 27 years. Farr was only the third CEO in the company's history. Upon his retirement, he was succeeded by
Surendralal "Lal" Karsanbhai, who was executive president of Emerson's largest business segment, Automation Solutions, from 2018 until being named CEO.
141:
Farr began his career at
Emerson in 1981. He held various positions upon his initial employment including manager of investor relations, vice president of corporate planning and development, president of the Ridge Tool division and group vice president for the industrial components and equipment
169:
During Farr's tenure, Emerson maintained its six-decade record of annual dividend increases, despite trade wars and a worldwide pandemic. Under Farr's leadership, the company became a $ 16.8 billion global corporation with some 200 factories and 85,000 employees, including about 1,400 at its
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Farr was born in the United States in 1955. He grew up in
Corning, New York, where his father was a math teacher before becoming a plant manager at glassmaker Corning Inc. The job moved the family to England, where his mother died from a cerebral hemorrhage when Farr was 18. He went to
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178:
While CEO of
Emerson Electric in 2009, David N. Farr earned a total compensation of $ 6,899,987, which included a base salary of $ 1,168,750, a cash bonus of $ 1,500,000, stock grants of $ 3,735,000, and other compensation totaling $ 496,237.
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Farr was the 2007 campaign chair for the United Way of
Greater St. Louis, leading the community to raise a record-breaking $ 68.8 million to help people in the 16-county region of metro St. Louis. He was also named one of the
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Additionally, Farr was elected chairman of the board of
Emerson in 2004 and relinquished that position May 4, 2021. Farr currently serves on the board of directors for IBM, the
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company. Farr has worked at the company since 1981 and retired as CEO on Feb 5, 2021. He is married to Lelia Far, with whom he has two children, and is a resident of
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business. He ascended the corporate ladder serving as president of
Emerson Electric Asia-Pacific and then chief executive officer of Emerson's Astec joint venture
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146:. He eventually became a senior executive vice president and chief operating officer in 1999. He was eventually named CEO in October 2000, succeeding
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announced Farr was elected to its board of directors, and he joined the board on
January 1, 2012.
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in 2000. Emerson has been awarded as well under Farr's management having been named one of the
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and graduated with a degree in chemistry in 1977. He went on to earn an MBA from the
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89:(born 1955) is an American business executive. He was the chairman and CEO of
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330:"The COVID Crisis Taught David Farr the Power and Limits of Leadership"
403:"IBM Investor relations - Corporate governance | Board of directors"
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in the electrical equipment and multi-industry in 2008.
271:"Emerson's David Farr, candid and outspoken, to retire"
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Farr is married with two children and is a resident of
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677:American chief executives of Fortune 500 companies
349:David N. Farr Elected to IBM Board of Directors
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200:named David Farr, CEO of Emerson EMR, one of
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162:of Greater St. Louis and is a member of
427:2009 CEO Compensation for David N. Farr
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127:Owen Graduate School of Management
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468:BusinessWeek Top 25 Managers 2000
277:from the original on 2021-02-01.
198:Institutional Investor magazine
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692:Businesspeople from St. Louis
687:Wake Forest University alumni
626:Herbert I. Finch (1922–1933)
697:People from Ladue, Missouri
300:"Emerson Executive Profile"
194:100 Best Corporate Citizens
77:Chairman and former CEO of
41:1955 (age 68–69)
16:American business executive
713:
480:"Business Ethics Magazine"
641:William Smead (1953–1954)
638:Oscar Schmitt (1945–1953)
629:Joseph Newman (1933–1938)
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202:The Best CEOs in America
116:Early life and education
91:Emerson Electric Company
79:Emerson Electric Company
682:Emerson Electric people
183:Awards and recognition
123:Wake Forest University
50:Wake Forest University
236:Fortune 500 (101-200)
131:Vanderbilt University
108:On October 25, 2011,
61:Vanderbilt University
457:St. Louis United Way
446:St. Louis United Way
250:Business Biographies
164:The Business Council
645:W.R. "Buck" Persons
615:John Wesley Emerson
432:2009-04-14 at the
156:Delphi Corporation
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621:Herbert L. Parker
589:Charles F. Knight
560:Charles F. Knight
148:Charles F. Knight
87:David Nelson Farr
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633:Stuart Symington
607:Emerson Electric
581:Emerson Electric
552:Emerson Electric
543:Emerson Electric
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482:. Archived from
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190:Top 25 Managers
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605:Presidents of
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568:(2004–present)
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486:on 2008-03-25
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384:on 2009-09-19
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550:Chairman of
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409:. 2017-03-13
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308:. Retrieved
304:the original
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174:Compensation
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672:1955 births
647:(1954–1973)
635:(1938–1945)
623:(1892–1922)
617:(1890–1892)
591:(1973–2000)
562:(1974–2004)
407:www.ibm.com
95:Fortune 500
74:Employer(s)
661:Categories
595:David Farr
566:David Farr
490:2008-01-29
413:2017-07-12
388:2008-01-29
335:2021-02-11
310:2008-01-28
224:References
196:in 2004.
160:United Way
23:David Farr
504:MSN Money
436:, Equilar
133:in 1981.
46:Education
541:CEOs of
430:Archived
275:Archived
218:Missouri
103:Missouri
378:"NEMA"
363:Forbes
158:, the
137:Career
214:Ladue
99:Ladue
577:CEOs
93:, a
38:Born
579:of
129:at
110:IBM
66:MBA
663::
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