Joseph (Joe) E. Creed

Joseph E. (Joe) Creed is chief operating officer of Caterpillar Inc.

Caterpillar is the world’s leading manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, off-highway diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines and diesel-electric locomotives. As COO, Creed leads a team of more than 95,000 employees across Caterpillar’s three primary machinery, energy & transportation segments (Construction Industries, Resource Industries, and Energy & Transportation), as well as Services, Distribution & Digital. He is responsible for overseeing the execution of the company’s strategy for profitable growth. The strategy focuses on operational excellence, expanded offerings, services and sustainability, which builds on what Caterpillar has done since its founding in 1925 – driving positive change on every continent by helping customers build a better, more sustainable world.

Creed joined Caterpillar in 1997 and has held numerous positions of increasing responsibility across multiple divisions of Caterpillar. He was promoted to chief financial officer for Caterpillar's Energy & Transportation business segment in 2013, then to vice president of Caterpillar's Finance Services Division in 2017. Creed also served as interim chief financial officer for Caterpillar in 2018. He then became vice president of the Oil & Gas and Marine Division and the Electric Power Division in 2019 before assuming the position of group president of Energy & Transportation in 2021.

Creed graduated from Western Illinois University with a bachelor’s degree in accounting, is a certified public accountant, and completed Caterpillar’s flagship executive leadership program conducted by Stanford University specifically for Caterpillar leaders, dealers and suppliers. He serves on the Western Illinois University President's National Advisory Council and is also a member of the board and past chairman for Easterseals of Central Illinois.