GE Chairman and CEO Jeffrey R. Immelt To Be Honored as International Citizen of the Year

HOUSTON, May 23, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- As public discourse on globalization and competitiveness in global markets top national agendas around the world, the World Affairs Council of Greater Houston is proud to announce that Jeffrey R. Immelt, Chairman and CEO of GE, is being honored as its 2017 International Citizen of the Year. Mr. Immelt, who's been named one of the "World's Best CEOs" three times by Barron's, will be presented the award at the Jesse H. Jones Award Luncheon on May 25th at the Hilton Americas in Houston, Texas.

"As the leader of one of the world's largest global companies, Mr. Immelt has tremendous insights on what it takes to make a positive impact in business as well as on people's lives," said Sandija Bayot, Interim Executive Director of the World Affairs Council of Greater Houston. "Award Luncheon attendees will get a chance to hear first-hand from Mr. Immelt his thoughts on a range of topics including innovation, globalization, and why a company must have its own "foreign policy" for doing business throughout the world."

Mr. Immelt has held several global leadership positions since coming to GE in 1982, including roles in GE's Plastics, Appliances, and Healthcare businesses. In 1989 he became an officer of GE and joined the GE Capital Board in 1997.

Mr. Immelt has also served in several high-profile roles, including chairing President Obama's Council on Jobs and Competitiveness and is currently serving as a member of President Trump's manufacturing council.

Mr. Immelt earned a B.A. degree in applied mathematics from Dartmouth College in 1978 and an M.B.A. from Harvard University in 1982. He and his wife have one daughter.

The World Affairs Council of Greater Houston each year honors a business or public leader who, in the spirit of Jesse and Mary Gibbs Jones, contributes to the international life of the region. Past recipients include Ryan Lance of ConocoPhillips, John B. Walker of EnerVest, James A. Baker, 61st Secretary of State, and Dr. Robert Robbins of the Texas Medical Center.

As a non-profit, non-partisan organization, the World Affairs Council strives to present all sides of current global issues, promotes better understanding of international relations and contributes to national and international policy debates. The Council partners with organizations across the region in efforts to strengthen greater Houston as a global city. Lead sponsors of the 2017 Jones Award Luncheon include Chevron, GE, Deloitte and Baker Hughes.

About GE
GE (NYSE: GE) is the world's Digital Industrial Company, transforming industry with software-defined machines and solutions that are connected, responsive and predictive. GE is organized around a global exchange of knowledge, the "GE Store," through which each business shares and accesses the same technology, markets, structure and intellect. Each invention further fuels innovation and application across our industrial sectors. With people, services, technology and scale, GE delivers better outcomes for customers by speaking the language of industry. www.ge.com

About the World Affairs Council of Greater Houston
The mission of the World Affairs Council of Greater Houston is to promote greater understanding of the world - its people, politics, economies and cultures - to enable the Houston Region to participate more effectively in the global community. The Council, which comprises over 7,000 members across the Houston Region, works to inform public dialog through three international focus areas: 1) Programs that offer access to government, business and civic leaders from around the globe; 2) Education through collaborative educational outreach with schools across the Region to educate and engage future generations of global leaders; and, 3) Travel focused on cultural exchange and meetings with high-level representatives in regions of geopolitical interest. The Council's motto is: Global Perspectives, Local Conversations. For more details, visit http://www.wachouston.org/.

SOURCE World Affairs Council of Greater Houston