MyDealer:
The skills, knowledge and commitment of Australia’s leading John Deere technicians and apprentices were celebrated in Brisbane at the sixth annual John Deere Technician of the Year Awards.
RDO Equipment was proudly represented by three finalists across the awards program, with Lauren Lester (Toowoomba), Jayden Silvester,(Emerald) and Cameron Wood (Townsville)Â recognised among the industry’s top emerging talent and technical professionals.
Following two days of rigorous practical and technical assessments at John Deere’s Crestmead headquarters south of Brisbane, Lauren Lester was named the 2026 Australian & New Zealand Parts Apprentice of the Year.
The award recognises Lauren’s outstanding technical knowledge, commitment to customer support and dedication to professional development, highlighting the strength of RDO Equipment’s next generation of talent.
John Deere Australia and New Zealand Managing Director, Luke Chandler, said the winners reflected the depth of technical expertise and commitment to customers found throughout the John Deere dealer network.
“Across every category, our winners demonstrated outstanding technical knowledge, practical skill and a strong commitment to supporting our customers and the industries they serve,” Mr Chandler said.
“The finalist testing challenges even the most experienced technicians and parts professionals, and the standard we saw this week was exceptional.
“It also reflects the investment our dealers make in training and developing their teams, and the expertise they provide to farmers, contractors and businesses operating in some of the toughest conditions in the world.”
Mr Chandler also congratulated all finalists who earned a place at the 2026 awards.
“As equipment becomes more sophisticated, our technicians are combining mechanical expertise with diagnostics, electronics and advanced technology to solve increasingly complex challenges for customers,” he said.
“Congratulations to our winners and 30 finalists, and to everyone who put their name forward for this year’s awards. Their skill, professionalism and commitment to their customers and communities are something our entire network can be proud of.”
John Deere Australia and New Zealand Director, Aftermarket and Customer Support, Steph Gersekowski, said this year’s finalists epitomised the diverse range of career pathways available to people pursuing technical careers across John Deere and its dealer network.
“The outstanding work we have seen over the past few days, and the work we know occurs in the field every day, is reflective of the investment made in continuous learning to develop our industry’s best technicians and parts professionals,” Ms Gersekowski said.
“Our finalists and winners have come from a range of backgrounds, be that straight from school or a career change later in life, and each is committed to building on the opportunities created through advances in technology and innovation, to keep their customers, industries and communities up and running.”
John Deere Australian & New Zealand Parts Apprentice of the Year – Lauren Lester, RDO Equipment, Toowoomba
Machinery parts technicians aren’t typically known for their musical skills, but second-year apprentice Lauren Lester likens working with her team to performing with the community orchestras she’s been part of over many years.
“When you’re playing in a band, you can’t have percussions, brass and woodwinds all playing at different tempos and different speeds, and it’s the same in our parts team,” she said.
“If we’re not doing our job, we can’t get the customers the parts they need to fix their machines and get harvesting or planting, so it’s important we all work together to get the whole operation moving.”
Lauren first started at RDO as a high-school student working part-time in reception on weekends and school holidays. After graduating from school, she initially enrolled in a teaching degree, before realising her career path was at RDO.
Now crowned Parts Apprentice of the Year, Lauren said she was proud of how far she’d come in a short time.
“It’s really easy to think about all the things you don’t know, but it’s important to actually recognise how much you have learned from the start of your journey,” she said.
Working in a busy environment, Lauren helps support approximately 50 team members across service technicians, apprentices and coordinators, and is known for her determination to see that the right parts are supplied at the right time to keep her customers up and running.
In future Lauren would like to combine her love of learning, her desire to teach and her growing knowledge of machinery, by becoming a trainer for up-and-coming technicians.
About the John Deere Technician of the Year Awards
Established in 2021, the prestigious awards champion the important contribution John Deere technicians make to the Australian and New Zealand agriculture, construction and forestry industries, and honour the outstanding service and support highly skilled and committed techs make to the lives and businesses of John Deere’s valued customers.
Original article form John Deere Limited
