Meet the Speakers: Michael Chen, GE
2010 Diversity Leadership Forum Workshop: Managing in Turbulent Times: Staying Engaged in the D&I Journey
Facilitator: Michael Chen, General Electric Company
Michael Chen is the President of Media, Communications, and Entertainment, GE Capital and is a Vice President and Officer of GE. Michael has primary responsibility for overseeing GE’s debt and equity financing activities to the media, communications & entertainment sectors.
Michael started his career in 1985 as a financial analyst for IBM. After several management positions in sales, marketing, finance and risk management, he left IBM in 1994 to join GE as Vice President of Risk Management for GE Capital Aviation Services (GECAS). After spending five years in various leadership roles, he was named Senior Vice President and General Mgr, North America for GECAS in 1999. Michael was named an Officer of the GE Company and assumed his current position in December 2006.
In 2006, he was named as one of the nation’s top sales and customer relationship individuals in the book “Secrets of Great Rainmakers” by best-selling author Jeffrey Fox, and in October of 2008, he was given the “Dealmaker of the Year” award by the New York based organization, The Executive Council, in recognition of his team’s highly successful equity venture with NBC Universal called the Peacock Equity Fund, and for GE being ranked #2 overall in Media/Telecom Finance for 2008.
Earlier in 2008, Michael was awarded the Pinnacle Award by the Asian American Business Development Center, which is the nation’s most prestigious Asian American business award. This award is given annually to an individual who is recognized as a leader in their field, and is serving in a top position within their company. He has also been featured on “The Wall Street Journal Online,” and the syndicated radio program “The CEO Show” (www.theceoshowonline.com).
Michael received his B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Rochester in 1983 and an MBA in finance from the Johnson Graduate School of Management at Cornell University in 1985. Michael serves on the Board of Directors for Norwalk Community College and on the Advisory Council for the Johnson School.