David Farr

David Nelson Farr (born 1955) is an American business executive. He was the chairman and CEO of Emerson Electric Company, a Fortune 500 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 named Andrew and katies, and is a resident of St. Louis, Missouri.

On October 25, 2011, IBM announced Farr was elected to its board of directors, and he joined the board on January 1, 2012.

Early life and education 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 on to earn an MBA from the Owen Graduate School of Management at Vanderbilt University in 1981. He eventually became a senior executive vice president and chief operating officer in 1999. He was eventually named CEO in October 2000, succeeding Charles F. Knight who had held the position for the previous 27 years. the Delphi Corporation, the United Way of Greater St. Louis and is a member of The Business Council.

Awards and recognition 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 Top 25 Managers in 2000. Emerson has been awarded as well under Farr's management having been named one of the 100 Best Corporate Citizens in 2004. Institutional Investor magazine named David Farr, CEO of Emerson EMR, one of The Best CEOs in America in the electrical equipment and multi-industry in 2008.

Personal life Farr is married with two children and is a resident of Ladue, Missouri.