
CEO Joseph E. Creed To Succeed D. James Umpleby As Chairman Of Caterpillar
Joseph (Joe) E. Creed, currently serving as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Caterpillar, will succeed D. James (Jim) Umpleby as Chairman, effective April 1, 2026.
Creed is the CEO of Caterpillar Inc. and a member of its Board of Directors. He leads nearly 113,000 employees across 63 countries and oversees the execution of the company’s strategy, with a focus on operations, services, and long-term growth. He serves on the Western Illinois University President’s National Advisory Council. His career includes serving as interim Chief Financial Officer (CFO), group President of Energy & Transportation, Chief Operating Officer (COO), and CEO. He joined Caterpillar in 1997 and has held roles across finance, energy, transportation, oil and gas, marine, and power divisions. Creed holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Western Illinois University and completed Caterpillar’s executive leadership programme at Stanford University.
Umpleby III is Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors of Caterpillar Inc. He served as the company’s CEO from January 2017 and was elected Chairman of the Board in 2018. Umpleby led Caterpillar as Chairman and CEO through April 30, 2025, and assumed the role of Executive Chairman in May 2025. Before becoming CEO, he was Group President of Caterpillar’s Energy & Transportation segment and earlier served as President of Solar Turbines and Vice President at Caterpillar. He serves on the Boards of Chevron, Cargill, and the Peterson Institute for International Economics. He holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology and completed an executive programme at IMD, Switzerland.




