Leadership

David L. Joyce
GE Vice Chairman
President & CEO, GE Aviation

David L. Joyce is a vice chair of GE and president and chief executive officer for GE Aviation, a world-leading provider of commercial and military jet engines and components as well as integrated digital, electric power and mechanical systems for aircraft. GE Aviation also has a global service network to support these offerings. Mr. Joyce also leads GE’s efforts to establish and grow an additive manufacturing equipment, materials and services business, as well as accelerating additive manufacturing applications across GE.

Mr. Joyce joined GE in 1980 as a product engineer and spent 15 years advancing his career in design and development of GE's commercial and military engines. His contributions encompassed nine different engine families powering 15 base aircraft models, including advanced technology applications. In 1995, Mr. Joyce transitioned from product development to become a Six Sigma Master Black Belt for the Aviation Engineering Division. In early 1998, he was promoted to general manager of the Customer and Product Support organization, responsible the global GE/CFM fleet of nearly 20,000 engines in service with more than 500 customers. In this role, Mr. Joyce led the formation of the highly successful "At the Customer, For the Customer" program. In mid-2000, he was appointed general manager of the small commercial engine operation, where he led GE's successful bid to power China's ARJ21 regional jet. In addition, he oversaw the certification program for the CF34-8 engine for the Bombardier CRJ900 and the Embraer E170/175 aircraft programs. Mr. Joyce was promoted to vice president and general manager of the commercial engine operation in 2003. He was named to his current role in June 2008.

David serves on the boards of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, the Aerospace Industries Association, the Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation, and Xavier University. He was named to the National Academy of Engineering in 2014. Joyce earned both Bachelor of Science and Master's Degrees in mechanical engineering from Michigan State University and holds a master's in business finance from Xavier University.

Anthony Aiello

Vice President and General Manager, Assembly, Test, Maintenance, Repair & Overhaul

Anthony "Tony" Aiello is vice president and general manager, Assembly, Test, Maintenance, Repair & Overhaul for GE Aviation's Supply Chain. In this role, he leads all the development, manufacturing, testing, repair and overhaul facilities operated by GE around the world.

Tony began his career with GE in 1986 on the Manufacturing Management Program with assignments in Syracuse, New York, and Burlington, Vermont. He then joined GE Transportation in Erie, Pennsylvania, and, over the next 11 years, held several positions, including business leader for Locomotive Final Assembly and Test, Platform COE leader and Master Black Belt.

In 1999, he joined Aviation as plant manager in Ontario, California, and then moved in 2001 to Prestwick, Scotland, where he held the position of managing director for the Caledonian Aircraft Engine Services site. In 2003, Tony was selected as the general manager of the newly formed CFM Services Platform in Engine Services, and in 2004, he became the general manager of the Structures Center of Excellence.

He took on the role as leader of GE Aviation's Global Customer and Product Support Operation in 2006 and held that position for three years before taking the role as general manger of the GE90 Product Line. He moved to his current role in May 2011.

Tony holds a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from Stevens Institute of Technology and an MBA from Penn State University.

Colleen B. Athans

Vice President and General Manager, Supply Chain

Colleen Athans is vice president and general manager of Supply Chain at GE Aviation. In this role, she is responsible for the operations of more than 80 GE Aviation locations in 12 countries that develop, manufacture, assembly, repair and overhaul jet engines for commercial and military applications.

Colleen began her career with GE Appliances in 1983 on the Manufacturing Management Program and also held program assignments at GE Military Electronic Systems.

She joined GE Aviation in 1985 and held numerous manufacturing and quality technical and leadership positions at the Lynn, Massachusetts facility.

In 1995, Colleen was named quality leader for the Rotating Parts Center of Excellence in GE Aviation's Evendale, Ohio facility. She also spent time serving as the Six Sigma Master Black Belt in the Rotating Parts Center of Excellence and Sourcing.

Colleen was named plant leader of the GE Aviation's Durham Engine Facility in North Carolina in 1999. She then returned to Evendale and became general manager of the Rotating Parts Center of Excellence in 2001.

In 2003, she was appointed general manager of the CF6 product line where she oversaw the CF6 engine model, which has accumulated more flight hours than any other widebody, high bypass ratio turbofan engine at GE.

Colleen was appointed to her role as vice president of Assembly, Test and Overhaul in 2010. She assumed her new role in May 2011.

Colleen holds a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Minnesota and a master's degree in manufacturing engineering from Boston University.

Alan C. Caslavka

Vice President and General Manager, Avionics & Digital Systems

Alan C. Caslavka is vice president and general manager, Avionics & Digital Systems. In this role he is responsible for worldwide military and civil avionics products and systems to include flight management systems, cockpit displays, platform computing, interface controls and air traffic management solutions.

Prior to joining GE Alan was with Rockwell Collins Inc., where he held various Manufacturing Operations, Engineering and Program Management positions, most recently, vice president & general manager for Precision Strike Platforms and Navigation Products. His previous roles included vice president & general manager of Command, Control, Communications and Intelligence (C3I) Systems and vice president & general manager Surface Solutions.

In 1991, Alan was recognized as Rockwell International's Engineer of the Year and in 1996, led a team that was awarded the McDonnell Douglas Aerospace "Spirit of Excellence" and "Model of Excellence" for outstanding contributions as a supplier.

Alan is a graduate of Iowa State University of Science and Technology where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Engineering. He also is a graduate of Nova Southeastern University with a Master's in Business Administration.

Chaker A. Chahrour

Vice President and General Manager, Global Sales and Marketing

Chaker Chahrour is vice president and general manager for Global Sales and Marketing for GE Aviation. He was appointed an officer of the General Electric Company in 2014. In this role, he is responsible for sales and marketing of all commercial engine and systems products and services globally.

Chaker joined GE Aviation in 1979 and worked as a design engineer in combustion systems. Over his 35 year career with GE Aviation, Chaker held various assignments and leadership positions in Engineering, Systems Design, System Integration, Six Sigma Black Belt and Program Management. Between 1997 and 2005, Chaker served as the general manager for the GE90 Product line. Chaker is credited with the introduction of the GE90-115B engine, the most powerful commercial engine in service today that powers the Boeing 777-300ER/200LR aircraft.

In 2005, Chaker moved to Singapore to lead the GE Aviation team for Asia-Pacific and had responsibility for Sales and Commercial Operations in the region.

Most recently, he was the executive vice president of CFM International and the GE Aviation general manager for the CFM and LEAP Product lines, in which he was responsible for managing the design, development, marketing and sales, communication as well as product support and customer satisfaction. As part of the CFM Executive board, Chaker served as the primary interface between GE and partner SNECMA (SAFRAN) and is responsible for managing the GE side of the 50/50 Joint Venture.

Chaker holds a mechanical engineering degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Sanjay M. Correa

Vice President, CMC Program

Sanjay leads GE's CMC (Ceramic Matrix Composite) Program with applications in aircraft engines and heavy-duty gas turbines.

Sanjay has been with GE for over 30 years. Prior to his current role, Sanjay was Vice President and Managing Director of the GE India Technology Center, headquartered in Bangalore, India. Earlier he was the General Manager for Engineering Technologies at GE Aviation headquartered in Cincinnati, OH; General Manager for the Fan, Compressor & Combustor Center of Excellence in GE Aviation's Supply Chain, with plants in the US, Canada and Europe, and engineering teams in Cincinnati, OH and Lynn, MA; and Global Technology Leader for Energy & Propulsion Technologies at GE's Global Research Center headquartered in Niskayuna NY, with teams in the US, Bangalore, Shanghai and Munich.

Sanjay holds a bachelor's, master's and doctorate degrees in aerospace engineering from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, MI. He is a co-leader of GE's Asian Pacific American Forum, and serves on the Board of Director of NGS Advanced Fibers (Tokyo, Japan) and the Board of Directors of the Society of Asian Scientists & Engineers. He also served on the Advisory Board of Vanderbilt University's School of Engineering.

Sanjay has 15 US patents and over 100 research papers. He is a member of several professional societies and has been a reviewer for several technical journals.

Jim W. Daily

Vice President and Chief Digital Officer, Engineering and Technology

Jim Daily is vice president & chief digital officer of Engineering and Technology for GE Aviation. Jim expanded his responsibilities to include the role of chief digital officer when GE Aviation formed a digital organization in early 2016 that brings all of the digital expertise from across Aviation into one business.

In this role, Jim is responsible for the technology and business growth for the digital platforms and portfolio within GE Aviation, as well as leading Systems and Digital Engineering & Technology.

In his Engineering and Technology role, Jim leads the technology development for the Aviation Systems business, which provides electrical power systems, avionics, aerostructures, engine controls and propeller systems to the manufacturers and operators of military and civil aircraft worldwide.

Jim joined GE in 2011 after a 22-year career at Honeywell in several engineering and business roles of increasing responsibility culminating in his role as vice president of Electronics Center of Excellence. In conjunction with this role, he led the Aerospace Integrity and Compliance Council and was honored as the 2009 recipient of the highest corporate award for product development.

Jim is a graduate of California State University at Fullerton, where he earned a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, with an emphasis in computer & micro-processor based systems and digital design.

Mohammad Ehteshami

Vice President, Additive Integration

Mohammad Ehteshami was named to his current position as Vice President, Additive Integration in September 2016. In this role, Mohammad provides strategic direction and operational leadership to GE’s additive manufacturing ecosystem.

Most recently, Mohammad served as Vice President & General Manager of Engineering for GE Aviation. Mohammad oversaw the design, development, certification and field services of GE Aviation’s products and services. Mohammad has more than 30 years’ experience at GE Aviation where he began as a design engineer in 1984. He then held several engineering positions before he became manager of Development Assembly and Instrument Operations in 1998.  In 2000, he became manager of the Combustor Design Engineering Center of Excellence, and also provided strong leadership achievements in globalization and New Product Introduction (NPI). He was appointed General Manager of GE Aviation's Rotating Parts Center of Excellence in 2003.

Mohammad was then appointed Vice President of Engineering for GE Oil and Gas in 2006, leading a diverse engineering team that supported a complex product offerings across the life cycle of the equipment. In this role, Mohammad delivered NPI success by executing excellent on-time delivery and first time yield.

In 2010, Mohammad re-joined GE Aviation as Vice President of Engineering NPI. A role in which he was responsible for the execution of all NPI programs to ensure they met schedule, budget and cost targets.

Mohammad has a Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from Old Dominion University and a Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Cincinnati.

Bill A. Fitzgerald

Vice President and General Manager, Commercial Engines Operation

Bill Fitzgerald is vice president and general manager, Commercial Engines Operation, at GE Aviation. In this role, he is responsible for all commercial jet engine products and global support.

Bill began his career at GE Aviation in 1983 as a member of the Manufacturing Development Program. He held several technical and operational leadership positions within supply chain in Lynn, MA, through 1997. Bill joined engine services in 1998 as the Cincinnati component repair leader, and he assumed the position of managing director for the European Engines Services operation in Cardiff, Wales, in January 2000.

In 2001, Bill was named general manager, global supply chain at GE Transportation Systems in Erie, PA. In 2003, he became vice president and general manager of Global Operations, Services.

Bill was named vice president and general manager of Assembly, Test and Overhaul in December 2008. In this role, he worked to bring the manufacturing and services sites together into a single organization to share best practices and processes. He was appointed vice president and general manager of the GEnx Product Line in 2010 in which he was responsible for the GEnx engine, which is one of the fastest selling engines in GE Aviation's history. He was named to his current position in December 2011.

Bill holds a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute and a master's degree in manufacturing engineering from Boston University. He is a graduate of GE's Advanced Manufacturing course. He serves on the advisory board of the National Professional Science Master's Association (NPSMA).

John Godsman

General Manager, Business Development

John Godsman is general manager of Business Development for GE Aviation.

In this role, John is responsible for accelerating Aviation's growth through strategic acquisitions, divestitures and joint ventures across the engines, avionics, systems and services segments. To date, John has overseen his team’s execution of 21 transactions aggregating ~$6.5 billion in value. In 2013, he received the Chairman’s Leadership Award for execution of GE Aviation’s business development strategy. John has also been a past recipient of the BD Performance Excellence Award.

John joined GE Aviation from the investment banking industry, where previously he was a managing director and global head of aerospace and defense for Deutsche Bank Securities. Prior to this role, he was employed by Credit Suisse First Boston in its London office, where he led the European aerospace and defense coverage effort. During his prior banking career, John led or advised on more than 60 transactions aggregating in excess of $75 billion in value.

John is a graduate of Dartmouth College, where he graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree and a concentration in government. He also holds a Master's of Business Administration degree, with a concentration in finance and accounting, from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business.

John is married and has two daughters. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his family and running, skiing, fly fishing and traveling. John greatly enjoys giving back to the community and is the current Community Service Fund Chairman and a People with Disabilities Network Executive Sponsor.

Jean M. Lydon-Rodgers

President and Chief Executive Officer, GE Aviation Services

Jean Lydon-Rodgers is president and chief executive officer of GE Aviation Services. In this role, she is responsible for providing operators of GE and its joint ventures commercial engines with a customizable suite of products and offerings to help them lower their lifecycle cost of ownership.

Jean began her career with GE on the Manufacturing Management Program at GE’s aerospace business and moved to GE Aviation for additional program assignments. Upon completion of the program, she worked in evaluation and test engineering where she supported the development and certification of commercial engines, such as CFM56, GE90, CF6 and GP7200.

Following her engineering roles, Jean moved to GE Aviation’s services business as a Six Sigma Black Belt and was certified in the use of Six Sigma tools and processes. She then progressed to positions of increasing responsibility in the Services division, including technology upgrades manager and manager of overhaul & platform strategy marketing. In these roles, she was responsible for implementing innovative technology and service solutions to improve productivity for the customer as well as GE service shops.

Jean joined GE Aviation’s military engines business in 2002 and progressed through several technical program management and leadership roles. In 2009 she was promoted to president and chief executive officer of GE Aviation, Military Systems, serving the US Department of Defense and numerous international military customers for aircraft, helicopter and marine engines.

Jean was named an officer of General Electric Company in 2008. She was appointed to her current position in 2016.

Jean graduated from Penn State University with a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering and from Xavier University with a master's degree in business administration.

Anne M. Lynch

Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Services

Anne Lynch is vice president and chief financial officer for Services at GE Aviation. In this role, she is responsible for the financial strategy and planning for the Services organization, which includes the engine maintenance, overhaul, repair and spare material aspects of the Aviation business.

She began her GE career in 1990 and worked in a variety of finance assignments at GE's Aviation, Plastics-Superabrasives, Healthcare and Water business units as well as GE Corporate.

In 2006, Anne returned to GE Healthcare as the chief financial officer for Life Sciences. As a finance partner, she worked closely with the CEO and leadership team significantly re-shaping the portfolio through acquisitions, divestitures and restructuring which resulted in operating profit growth from 13% to 22%.

She moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 2012 as vice president and chief financial officer for Healthcare Systems. In this role, Anne was the finance leader for the $13B Healthcare business, including diagnostic and ultrasound imaging and patient monitoring segments. Anne worked with the leadership team to achieve significant operational improvements including 2X VCP, launched a R&D analytical tool increasing visibility & returns, divested of non-strategic assets and re-invested in growth platforms.

Anne assumed her current role at GE Aviation in 2014.

She has a bachelor's degree in finance from Xavier University. Anne is a graduate of both the GE Financial Leadership Program (FMP) and Experienced Financial Leadership Program (EFLP).

Ernest W. Marshall, Jr.

Vice President, Human Resources

Ernest Marshall is vice president, Human Resources at GE Aviation, a fast growing division of the General Electric Company.

He provides strategic direction for over 45,000 employees located at 84 sites around the globe. As a global HR strategist, Ernest has extensive experience in organizational development, employee engagement, talent assessment, cultural integration, executive compensation, global practices and labor relations in rapidly changing, highly competitive growth environments.

Ernest's experience is multi-faceted. After completing his undergraduate degree, he took a position as an Assistant English teacher in Shizuoka, Japan, where he taught at two Japanese high schools. He joined GE in 1997 on the Human Resources Leadership Program (HRLP) at GE Capital Consumer Finance in Cincinnati, OH. Following his first business rotation on the program, Ernest joined GE's Corporate Audit Staff (CAS) as an auditor. In 1999, Ernest moved to GE Healthcare in Milwaukee, WI, as the Commercial HR leader on the Marquette Medical acquisition. In 2000, he worked on GE's National Labor Negotiations. 

Ernest joined GE Aviation in 2001 as the Human Resources/Union Relations manager for Structures Supply Chain and the Engineering Center of Excellence. He has taken on roles of increasing responsibility across the Aviation organization, including HR leader for the Commercial Engines Organization during a time of significant product portfolio growth. He also served as senior HR leader for the Supply Chain division, which expanded significantly during his tenure. Most recently, Ernest helped successfully transform the Aviation Systems business, a strategic business acquisition, by developing an HR infrastructure geared towards building a successful business and culture.

Ernest is very active in the community. He serves on the board of his alma mater Bellarmine University. He is also a board member of Kindway and a past board member of the Cincinnati Art Museum. He co-leads GE Aviation's GE Volunteers organization. Ernest was selected by Black MBA magazine in its '50 under 50' feature and by Network Journal in its 'Top 40 under 40' feature.

Ernest has a Bachelor's degree with a dual major in Accounting and Business Administration from Bellarmine University in Louisville, KY. During this time, he also spent two semesters at New College, Oxford, England. He earned his MBA/JD from Indiana University - Bloomington with concentrations in marketing/human resources and corporate/employment law, respectively.

Ernest and his family live in Cincinnati, OH.

Tony Mathis

President and Chief Executive Officer, Military Systems

Tony Mathis is president and chief executive officer of Military Systems at GE Aviation. In this role, he is responsible for the business’ military operations serving the United States Department of Defense and numerous international military customers for aircraft, helicopter and marine engines.

Prior to working at GE, Tony served as Second Lieutenant in the United States Air Force, where he focused on flight test and propulsion project engineering.

Tony joined GE Aviation in 1997. Over the next 19 years, he held a number of roles of increasing responsibility including assignments as a Black Belt, Airline Support Engineer, e-Business Leader and a role as a Master Black Belt for Customer Support. Tony was promoted to chief marketing officer for Military Marketing in 2001 and later became the general manager for Military Customer Support. In 2004, Tony became the vice president of the F414, F404, J85 & TF34 engine programs, where he was responsible for overseeing all aspects of the engine programs to include cross-functional leadership of production, engineering, sales and marketing, advanced application development and customer support. Most recently, Tony served as the Senior Account Executive for GE Aviation Engine and Systems operations at Boeing Commercial Airplanes located in Seattle, WA. In this role, he was responsible for leading the integration of all GE Aviation’s engine and systems programs with Boeing, to include production, engineering, sales and marketing, advanced, application development and field/customer support. He was named to his current position in November 2016.

Tony is a native of Fitzgerald, Georgia. He received a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Clemson University, a master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from California State University, Fresno and an MBA from Xavier University.

Michael R. McAlevey

Vice President and General Counsel, Legal Operations and Business Development

Michael R. McAlevey is a GE Company officer and serves as general counsel and leader of Business Development for GE Aviation. He is responsible for GE Aviation's global legal and compliance organizations and its business development activities.

Prior to his current role, Michael served as vice president, Chief Corporate, Securities and Finance Counsel for GE located in Fairfield, CT. In that role, he was responsible for GE's global securities law, capital raising, corporate law and corporate governance compliance. In 2006, GE's Chief Executive Officer and Chairman Jeff Immelt presented him with the Chairman's Leadership Award for his leadership of GE's SEC related matters.

Before joining GE, Michael served as the deputy director of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission's (SEC) Division of Corporation Finance from 1998 to 2001. At the SEC, he oversaw all aspects of the operation of the Division of Corporation Finance and played an instrumental role in the development and implementation of Regulations M-A and FD. SEC Chairman Arthur Levitt awarded him the Chairman's Award for Excellence for his work on Regulation FD. He worked regularly with Congress as the Division's liaison to Capitol Hill, particularly on matters related to the capital formation process.

Prior to joining the SEC in 1998, Michael was a partner with Alston & Bird LLP in Atlanta, Georgia where his practice focused on capital raising and M&A transactions. From 1999 to 2001, he served as an adjunct professor of law at the Georgetown University Law Center where he taught M&A. He has authored numerous articles on federal securities regulation and corporate governance and is a frequent speaker nationally and internationally on securities, finance, board related matters.

Michael is a member of the ABA Committee on Corporate Laws and the NYSE Corporate Governance Commission.

Michael was a law clerk to The Honorable Emmett R. Cox, a judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit. He is a 1989 graduate of the University of Virginia School of Law and received his undergraduate degree, magna cum laude, from Washington & Lee University in 1986, where he was a member of Phi Beta Kappa.

Gary D. Mercer

Vice President and General Manager, Engineering Division

Gary Mercer was named to his current position as Vice President and General Manager of Engineering at GE Aviation in 2016. In this role, he oversees the design, development, certification and field services of GE Aviation’s Commercial & Military engines.

Most recently, Gary served as Vice President of Services Engineering and Chief Engineer for GE Aviation, and was responsible for developing the strategy, process, and tools to drive operational excellence for a global engineering team and supporting services agreements for GE Aviation’s customers.

Gary began his career at GE as a design engineer at Aircraft Engines in 1985. He held several engineering positions before joining GE Energy in 1993; he became general manager of a steam cooled gas turbine initiative.

In 1999, Gary relocated to Greenville, SC and became the Power Generation Programs Manager. He was appointed to Senior General Manager of Engineering for GE Oil & Gas in Florence, Italy in 2002.

After four years in this role, Gary returned to GE Energy in Greenville, SC to lead the component design teams for Gas and Wind Turbine products. Gary also led the global engineering team for GE’s Renewables Energy business, where he continued his passion for engineering excellence, innovating processes and products to make GE the preferred supplier to our customers.

In 2011, Gary rejoined GE Aviation in Evendale, OH as the Vice President and Chief Engineer of the Engineering division. Gary’s responsibilities grew to include the Technology and Sciences departments in 2012. In 2014, Gary became Vice President of Services Engineering in addition to his role as Chief Engineer, which includes leading the Chief Engineer’s Office.

Gary has a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering at the State University of New York.

Brad D. Mottier

Vice President and General Manager, Business and General Aviation & Integrated Systems

Brad D. Mottier is vice president and general manager of the Business and General Aviation & Integrated Systems operation for GE Aviation.

Prior to this appointment, Brad served as vice president and general manager of GE Aviation's Services operation and was named a company officer of General Electric Company in 2005.

Brad was president and chief executive officer of Unison Industries, a wholly owned subsidiary of Aviation's Services operation, which was acquired in 2002. Prior to the acquisition, he worked for more than 20 years at Unison, holding various roles of increasing responsibility. These roles included senior development engineer, engineering manager, materials manager, quality control manager, product line manager, sales and marketing manager, operations manager, vice president of marketing, senior vice president and executive vice president. Brad also holds several patents in ignition technologies.

He is a 1979 graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana, where he earned a bachelor's degree in general engineering. He also has earned a Master's degree in engineering degree from the University of Illinois and an MBA from the University of Chicago.

Brad is vice president of the Sontag Foundation; former chairman of the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA); member of the President's Council for the University of Illinois, and a distinguished alumni of the Department of General Engineering and the College of Engineering at the University of Illinois. In May 2014, Brad was honored with the Business Aviation Laureate Award by Aviation Week.

Riccardo Procacci

CEO, Avio Aero

Riccardo joined GE in 1996 covering different technical and commercial roles before being assigned to Asia in 2000 as GE Oil & Gas region sales manager based in Kuala Lumpur. During his tenure, landmark projects were secured in the region in strategic segments like LNG and Pipeline. At the end of 2003, he moved back to the GE Oil & Gas headquarters in Florence, Italy, leading the Contractual Service Agreements business unit, part of the business' Global Services division.

In 2006, he relocated with his family to New Delhi, India, in the role of GE Country Leader, with the mandate to establish the Company's operations in India, while identifying and launching key localization initiatives and partnerships. In 2009, he was nominated to the role of Turbomachinery Applied Technology leader based in Florence, Italy, where he was responsible for the product leadership of the entire Turbomachinery portfolio, which spans from compressors to gas and steam turbines, turboexpanders, pumps, valves and control systems. In this capacity, Riccardo has spearheaded the development, testing and feasibility of new technologies such as the LM6000 for mechanical drive, the first floating LNG applications, and increasing the competitiveness of GE's steam turbines through the development of new high speed/high efficiency blades.

In 2013, Riccardo joined GE Aviation Systems as AVIO integration leader, based in Turin, Italy. In this role, Riccardo led the team that planned the smooth transition of AVIO into GE. He was promoted to CEO of Avio Aero in mid-2013.

Riccardo holds a master's degree in mechanical engineering and a Ph.D. in turbomachinery from the University of Rome "La Sapienza".

Peter Prowitt

Executive Director, Global Government Relations

Peter Prowitt is executive director of Global Government Relations for GE Aviation. He was appointed to this role in May 2011. In this role, he will be responsible for leading the Aviation Washington DC team and setting the government relations strategy around the world.

Peter began his career on the staff of US Congressman Max Baucus (D-Montana) in 1977. After receiving his MBA in 1981, he worked for Eli Lilly and Company in Chicago.

In 1983, Peter returned to Senator Baucus' legislative staff and served as his Chief of Staff until 1987. During the 100th Congress, Peter served as staff director of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee chaired by Senator Quentin N. Burdick (D-North Dakota).

In 1988, he represented American President Lines, Ltd., in Washington, D.C., on a variety of international trade and domestic issues related to the company's maritime and domestic container distribution services.

He joined GE in 1995 as Manager of Government Relations. His responsibilities included representing GE before Congress and the Administration on issues affecting the company's businesses. He became the government relations team leader for GE Aviation's Washington DC Operations in 2010.

Peter is a member of the faculty at the Colgate Darden Graduate School of Business, University of Virginia, where he has taught an elective in Business-Government Relations since 1990.

Peter received a bachelor's degree in zoology from DePauw University in 1977 and an MBA from the Colgate Darden Graduate School of Business, University of Virginia.

Jamie R. Regg

Senior Executive, Communications and Infrastructure

Jamie R. Regg leads Communications and Infrastructure for GE Aviation.

Prior to joining GE, Jamie served as an Officer in the United States Army and held several roles in operations for Westinghouse Electric Corporation.

In 1996, he joined GE Aviation at its Madisonville, KY, plant where he quickly progressed through multiple operational leadership roles. He transitioned to GE Aviation's Evendale, OH, plant to serve as a Six Sigma Master Black Belt for the Supply Chain. Upon completion of this role, Regg was named Plant Leader for the Madisonville Turbine Airfoils Plant.

In 2004, Jamie returned to Evendale, OH, as Leader of Assembly and Test Operations for GE Aviation and led the integration of the Engineering and Production Assembly and Test teams into a single operational team. In 2006, he was named the Aviation Material Cost Leader and was responsible for cost reduction programs across commercial and military platforms.

Jamie was promoted to General Manager, Turbine Airfoils Center of Excellence, in 2008. In this role, he led sourcing, engineering, manufacturing, and repair of High Pressure Turbine Airfoils. Sites within the Center included Greenville, SC, Madisonville, KY, Muskegon, MI, Cincinnati Service Shops (ACSC), and Aviation's Singapore Repair Operations.

In 2010, Jamie was appointed leader of Supply Chain Government Operations. In this role, he was responsible for coordinating interaction and communications between GE Aviation Supply Chain facilities and government agencies around the world. He was appointed to senior executive Global Communications and GE Advantage in June 2011 and led the Global Communications team in the creation and execution of internal and external communications strategies and messaging as well as process improvement teams across GE Aviation.

In August 2014, Jamie assumed his current role as senior executive of Communications and Infrastructure and manages Communication and Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) and Facilities organizations.

Jamie is a graduate of the University of North Alabama, where he received a bachelor's degree in chemistry and industrial operations and received his appointment as a United States Army Officer.

Laurent C. Rouaud

Chief Marketing Officer

Laurent joined GE in 2010 as chief marketing officer of GE Aviation. Laurent leads GE Aviation's growth, strategy, and marketing activities. This includes developing an integrated strategy for the business, developing business adjacencies and new commercial products, providing an enterprise view of all products and services offered to customers, leading the commercial pricing analytics and marketing GE Aviation products and services for the Commercial Engines, Military, Systems, Services, Business and General Aviation, Digital Solutions businesses as well as the Ecomagination business platform dedicated to environmental innovation.

Laurent started his career in 1987 at McDonnell Douglas in Long Beach, California, as a senior airline market analyst in the Strategic Planning and Forecasting Department of Douglas Aircraft. He joined Airbus in Toulouse in 1991 as manager of Marketing in the Market Development Department. In 1996, he moved to Airbus of North America to lead Business Development. In 2006, Laurent went back to Airbus HQ in Toulouse and became senior vice president of Market and Product Strategy at Airbus, covering all products.

Laurent earned a master's degree in engineering from the Institute Polytechnique des Sciences Avancées, a master's degree and a PhD in economics with honors from the Toulouse School of Economics. Laurent also graduated from the French Military Engineering Corps as an Officer.

Laurent was born in Clermont L'Hérault, France. He and his wife, Monica, reside in Cincinnati.

Jude Schramm

Chief Information Officer

Jude is the Chief Information Officer for GE Aviation. Named to this role in September 2015, he is responsible for leading the Information Technology function and driving GE Aviation's digital industrial strategy.

He began his career with GE Aviation in 2001 as project manager in the Aviation Services Fleet Management IT division. During the next 14 years, he held a number of roles, including certified Black Belt, IT leader for the Commercial Engines division and Certified Lean Leader for GE Infrastructure, where he was responsible for cross-business synergy programs between GE Aviation and GE Energy.

Jude was named Chief Information Officer - Digital in 2014. In this role, he was responsible for defining one digital strategy for GE Aviation, leading the function to support the business' digital products and internal web services.

He graduated from the University of Cincinnati with a bachelor's degree in information systems and master's degree in business management.

Shane M. Wright

Chief Financial Officer

Shane Wright is the vice president and chief financial officer for GE Aviation. In this role, Shane oversees all aspects of financial strategy for GE Aviation's $22 billion aerospace business with more than 80 facilities in 21 countries around the globe.

Shane joined GE in 1988 on the Financial Management Program. He then spent six years with the Corporate Audit Staff and held global finance leadership roles of increasing responsibility for several GE businesses, including finance manager, Asia Pacific for Transportation; finance manager, Asia, Europe and Africa for Energy; financial planning and analysis manager for Oil & Gas; chief financial officer, Property & Casualty for Insurance Solutions and chief financial officer for GE Transportation.

Shane also has experience in mergers and acquisition, serving as the Corporate Staff Executive for M&A in Hong Kong in 1998, and in risk management, serving as the global risk and underwriting manager for GE Insurance Solutions in 2002.

Prior to joining GE Aviation, Shane served as chief financial officer for GE Healthcare International, where he was responsible for the Europe, Middle East and Africa, and Greater Asia regions for GE's Healthcare business.

Shane is the staff sponsor for GE Aviation's Veteran's Network, leading efforts to recruit, retain and promote high quality military veteran employees to the business.

He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from Whitman College, Walla Walla, Washington in 1986. In the community, Shane serves on the Board of Directors for the Cincinnati Port Authority and on the Board of Directors for 3CDC, Cincinnati's Development Corporation.

Weiming Xiang

President, GE Aviation Greater China

Weiming Xiang is President of GE Aviation Greater China Region and was appointed a GE Company Officer in November 2014. In this role, he leads Aviation's Greater China operations, including Commercial Engines and Services as well as growth programs, such as Business & General Aviation, Marine, Industrial Internet, and oversees China's Engineering and Supply Chain's activities. Weiming champions the China Leadership Council to drive the business' growth strategies, build the local capabilities and engage with customers, partners and employees.

Weiming joined GE in 1992 and has held various commercial leadership roles in Marketing & Sales, Product Lines, Services, Customer & Product Support, Six Sigma Black Belt and Business Development for the Aviation and Transportation businesses in China and the United States. In his recent positions as the General Manager of GE Aviation Greater China Region and the General Manager of GE Transportation China, he led the commercial engine teams from both businesses to win numerous deals and sales contracts.

Prior to GE, Weiming worked at AVIC for seven years.

Weiming is a graduate of Northwestern Polytechnical University in Xi'an, China, where he received a bachelor's degree in aero-engine design. He was the first graduate of the Technical Leadership Program (TLP) of GE China and a graduate of the Global Marketing and Sales (GMS) Program at GE Aviation. Weiming is also a certified Black Belt.