Jack Welch

John Francis Welch, Jr., better known as Jack Welch in business, was chairman and CEO of General Electric for two decades. Now retired, the business manager is a qualified chemical engineer who began his professional career at General Electric. Although he was unhappy during his first years at the company, he eventually began to enjoy his work and became head of the GE plastics unit within a few years of joining. From there he went from success to success and his long and arduous journey with the company eventually led to his being appointed CEO. Under his leadership GE has increased its investment in the market and just as many CEOs of other companies are also starting to follow its policies. Jack Welch redefined the concept of leadership and created a model for others to follow. Despite being a successful officer like this he was not without his opponents who felt that he was too strong and indifferent to the working class staff as he was known for firing workers often. His good leadership skills led him to write books on the same topic, many of which became international marketers. Welch also had his share of the controversy, especially during his major divorce from his second wife.