Deboleena Bose Appointed as CoBank’s Chief Human Resources Officer

DENVER (July 30, 2020) — CoBank, a cooperative bank serving agribusinesses, rural infrastructure providers and Farm Credit associations throughout the United States, today announced that Deboleena Bose has been appointed as the bank’s new Chief Human Resources Officer.

Bose comes to CoBank with over two decades of human resources experience at leading multinational corporations. She spent 21 years with General Electric in various positions in Asia, Europe and North America, including six years leading HR for the global onshore wind business of GE’s renewable energy portfolio. Since 2018, she has served as Vice President of Human Resources for Michigan-based Whirlpool Corporation, overseeing all aspects of HR for its $11 billion North America appliance business. Bose holds a bachelor’s degree from Jadavpur University in Calcutta, India, and an MBA from India’s Xavier Institute of Social Service.

“We’re delighted that Deboleena will be joining our team, working with the board and executive team to design and implement human capital initiatives that position the bank as a top employer in the financial services industry and advance our competitive position in the marketplace,” said Tom Halverson, CoBank’s president & chief executive officer.

Bose will have responsibility for all aspects of the bank’s human resources program. Bose succeeds former CHRO Bob O’Toole, who is retiring at the end of 2020 after nearly 20 years at CoBank. She will report directly to Halverson and serve as a member of the bank’s Management Executive Committee.

“At a time of significant marketplace turmoil, high quality organizations have the opportunity to differentiate themselves by continuing to focus on putting people first and workplace culture,” Bose said. “CoBank is clearly such an organization. I am excited to partner with Tom, the board and the rest of the executive team on building the next phase of best-in-class people strategies to further differentiate CoBank as an employer of choice. My passion for and experience in leadership development and inclusion & diversity is a natural fit with CoBank's commitment to employee engagement and growth. I look forward to the work and new relationships ahead.”

About CoBank

CoBank is a $158 billion cooperative bank serving vital industries across rural America. The bank provides loans, leases, export financing and other financial services to agribusinesses and rural power, water and communications providers in all 50 states. The bank also provides wholesale loans and other financial services to affiliated Farm Credit associations serving more than 70,000 farmers, ranchers and other rural borrowers in 23 states around the country.

CoBank is a member of the Farm Credit System, a nationwide network of banks and retail lending associations chartered to support the borrowing needs of U.S. agriculture, rural infrastructure and rural communities. Headquartered outside Denver, Colorado, CoBank serves customers from regional banking centers across the U.S. and also maintains an international representative office in Singapore.

Media Contacts

Julie Davis
Corporate Communications
202-215-1354
judavis@cobank.com

Leslie Hagele
Corporate Social Responsibility
224-250-7162
lhagele@cobank.com

Dave Harding
Knowledge Exchange
262-825-7926
david.h.harding@outlook.com