BorgWarner Adds Former Deere Executive Rajesh Kalathur to Board, Declares $0.17 Quarterly Dividend
The automotive supplier expands its board to nine members with the appointment of John Deere's former CFO and finance chief, while maintaining its quarterly dividend payout.
Board Expansion Adds Financial Services Veteran
BorgWarner Inc. has expanded its board of directors from eight to nine members with the appointment of Rajesh Kalathur, a recently retired senior executive from Deere & Company, according to an 8-K filing dated July 31, 2026.
Kalathur most recently served as President of John Deere Financial and Chief Information Officer of Deere & Company, roles in which he led a financial services business segment with more than $70 billion in assets and oversaw enterprise-wide global information technology and cybersecurity functions (8-K filing, 2026-07-31). He joined Deere in 1996 and retired in 2026 after serving more than six years as the company's Chief Financial Officer prior to his most recent positions.
"Raj's extensive global leadership experience across finance, information technology, operations, and sales will be invaluable to our Board," said Alexis P. Michas, Non-Executive Chairman of the Board, in the company's announcement (8-K filing, 2026-07-31).
Educational Background and Independence
Kalathur holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the National Institute of Technology in Jamshedpur, India, a Master of Science in Industrial Engineering from the University of Alabama, and an MBA from the University of Chicago's Booth School of Business (8-K filing, 2026-07-31).
The filing confirms Kalathur has been appointed as an independent director, with no transactions or arrangements requiring disclosure under SEC regulations. The board has not yet determined which committees Kalathur will join, and he will be compensated according to the company's standard non-employee director compensation policy as outlined in BorgWarner's March 19, 2026 proxy statement (8-K filing, 2026-07-31).
Quarterly Dividend Maintained
Separately, BorgWarner's board declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.17 per share of common stock on July 30, 2026 (8-K filing, 2026-07-31). The dividend is payable on September 15, 2026, to stockholders of record as of September 1, 2026.
For a company with a market capitalization of approximately $13 billion and shares last trading at $63.74, the quarterly dividend represents an annualized yield of roughly 1.1% based on current share prices.
Upcoming Events
The board appointments and dividend declaration come just ahead of BorgWarner's second quarter 2026 earnings report, scheduled for August 5, 2026, according to MarginX data. The company is also set to present at the Lat.Bus 2026 conference on August 11 and the J.P. Morgan Automotive Conference on August 12.
BorgWarner, an Auburn Hills, Michigan-based company with more than 130 years of history in the automotive industry, focuses on mobility innovation with an emphasis on sustainability. The addition of Kalathur brings expertise in financial services, technology, and global operations to a board overseeing a company navigating the automotive industry's transition toward electrification and cleaner technologies.
This article was generated by MarginX from the 8-K filing on 2026-07-31. It is not investment advice.