Former GE CEO Jeff Immelt Reflects on Post-Departure Challenges
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: 19 hours ago
0mins
Source: seekingalpha
- Emotional Isolation: Former GE CEO Jeff Immelt describes in a lengthy essay the emotional fallout following his departure, noting a shift in how people treated him, with some avoiding eye contact, indicating a profound personal impact after leaving a powerful corporate role.
- Personal Crisis: Immelt candidly shares his struggles with feeling adrift and disappointing those close to him, particularly his family, reflecting a deep identity crisis as he navigated life outside the corporate spotlight.
- Legacy Controversy: He revisits the controversies surrounding his legacy at GE, particularly the troubled acquisition of Alstom's energy assets in 2015 and the strain on GE Capital during the financial crisis, suggesting that some colleagues understood his challenges but chose not to support him publicly.
- Rebuilding Confidence: Immelt emphasizes the importance of rebuilding his confidence after leaving GE, finding new purpose through joining New Enterprise Associates, and appreciating Silicon Valley's startup culture for its focus on long-term growth and innovation, contrasting it with the financial engineering prevalent in private equity.
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Analyst Views on GE
Wall Street analysts forecast GE stock price to rise
9 Analyst Rating
8 Buy
0 Hold
1 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 320.820
Low
275.00
Averages
345.67
High
386.00
Current: 320.820
Low
275.00
Averages
345.67
High
386.00
About GE
General Electric Company, doing business as GE Aerospace, is a global aerospace propulsion, services, and systems company. It has an installed base of over 50,000 commercial and 30,000 military aircraft engines. Its segment includes Commercial Engines & Services and Defense & Propulsion Technologies. Commercial Engines & Services segment designs, develops, manufactures and services jet engines for commercial airframes, as well as business aviation and aeroderivative applications. Its services include maintenance, repair and overhaul of engines and the sale of spare parts and offers services under a variety of arrangements such as long-term service agreements, spare parts agreements or time and material contracts. Defense & Propulsion Technologies segment provides defense engines and critical aircraft systems and consists of Defense & Systems and Propulsion & Additive Technologies businesses. Its portfolio of brands includes Avio Aero, Unison, Dowty Propellers and Colibrium Additive.
About the author

Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
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- Emotional Isolation: Former GE CEO Jeff Immelt describes in a lengthy essay the emotional fallout following his departure, noting a shift in how people treated him, with some avoiding eye contact, indicating a profound personal impact after leaving a powerful corporate role.
- Personal Crisis: Immelt candidly shares his struggles with feeling adrift and disappointing those close to him, particularly his family, reflecting a deep identity crisis as he navigated life outside the corporate spotlight.
- Legacy Controversy: He revisits the controversies surrounding his legacy at GE, particularly the troubled acquisition of Alstom's energy assets in 2015 and the strain on GE Capital during the financial crisis, suggesting that some colleagues understood his challenges but chose not to support him publicly.
- Rebuilding Confidence: Immelt emphasizes the importance of rebuilding his confidence after leaving GE, finding new purpose through joining New Enterprise Associates, and appreciating Silicon Valley's startup culture for its focus on long-term growth and innovation, contrasting it with the financial engineering prevalent in private equity.
See More
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