Jeffrey “Jeff” Robert Immelt (b.1956) is an American business executive and a former Chairman and CEO of the industrial conglomerate General Electric.
Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, Immelt graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Applied Mathematics from Dartmouth College. He briefly worked at Procter & Gamble, where he shared an office with Steve Ballmer, who later became the CEO of Microsoft.
Immelt joined General Electric (GE) in 1982 after getting an MBA from Harvard. He held many global leadership positions in GE’s plastics, appliance, and healthcare divisions and rose up the management ranks. In 2001, Immelt succeeded the legendary Jack Welch as GE’s Chairman and CEO.
During his tenure, Immelt worked to restructure GE by selling off the appliances, finance, and media businesses and guiding its industrial division into the digital age as the company’s future growth platform. However, investors grew impatient with GE’s sagging profits and sluggish stock performance. Immelt resigned in August 2017.
More: Wikipedia • READ: Works by Jeffrey Immelt
Every job looks easy when you’re not the one doing it.
—Jeffrey Immelt
Topics: Criticism
The most important thing I’ve learned since becoming CEO is context. It’s how your company fits in with the world and how you respond to it.
—Jeffrey Immelt
I never pretend to know all the answers, and I want to continue to be fast on my feet.
—Jeffrey Immelt
There’s a difference between tough-mindedness and meanness.
—Jeffrey Immelt
Wondering Whom to Read Next?
Jack Welch American Businessperson
Ted Turner American Businessperson
Michael Bloomberg American Businessperson
Bill Gates American Businessperson
Andrew Grove Hungarian-born American Businessperson
Lee Iacocca American Businessperson
Michael Dell American Businessperson
Anne M. Mulcahy American Businessperson
Owen D. Young American Businessperson
Charles Erwin Wilson American Businessperson