Jeff Immelt

When I used to work with GE, we would map out all sorts of different, um, circumstances that could happen and what we would be working on.

I mean, we were working across everything from light bulbs to large industrial scanners, and then you'd have Jeff Immelt, who was the CEO, um, you know, on his private jet flying from country to country and doing different things.

I mean, it's, it was, it was not very dis- dissimilar, but what was dissimilar was the fact that we had to work with paper and pen in those days.

We didn't have the luxury of the internet and the, literally an online library right in front of our eyes.

You really do not know where these things come from.

An example that is used, and I think it's a good example, Jeff Immelt, the guy who replaced Jack Welch, his first week on the job was September 8th of 2001.

Oh,

bad timing.

See what they did? How companies from Gap to General Mills are luring A-list talent and keeping an ailing industry afloat.

Uh, the ar- article opens up by saying, "Brian Grazer first realized that advertising and entertainment were colliding after a meeting with General Electric CEO Jeff Immelt a decade ago.

Immelt had approached the mega-producer about having Imagine Entertainment create some TV spots for the conglomerate, but Grazer said that he wasn't inspired by the idea." I remember covering that story.

Remember when we covered that story?

And so, so this-- You know, when you're a PhD student, you don't engage with these sup- supposedly best CEOs of, of a century, uh, and this is one thing that really stuck out at me.

The other thing that stuck out, stuck out at me, which it's amazing that this existed not that long ago, but, um, o- another student challenged him on the selection of his successor, which ended up being a guy named Jeffrey Immelt.

It was down to three people.

Uh, I'm blanking on-- I don't know their exact names, but one of them went to, to work at 3M.

I didn't sell.

The J- like, the CEO, Jeff Immelt, at that time resigned because of all the purchases he had made, like, you know, acquisitions he did.

And then the new CEO came in, and it has gone, like, you know, 10X since then.

Mm.

And that's how we're going to win the future.

Now, while I was in Schenectady, I announced that Jeff Immelt, GE's CEO and one of the most imaginative and visionary business leaders in America, has agreed to head up our new Council on Jobs and Competitiveness.

The purpose of this council is to help us find ways to grow our economy by investing in our businesses here at home.

And under just leadership, I'm confident that they'll generate good ideas about how we can spur hiring, educate our workers to compete in the 21st century, and attract the best jobs and businesses to America, rather than seeing them spring up overseas.