Life at GE : Careers : GE

What are the best aspects of your current job?

I did not start my career in IT; I come from a business background and always wanted to stay close to business. So, the best part of my job is the opportunity to see and influence, wing-to-wing, the entire business or function - from finance to manufacturing to sourcing, including all business functions. As we see inside, we have the best opportunity to deliver process improvements.

What are the best things about working at GE?

What I really like the most in GE is the overall diversity. There is variety in people, cultures, locations, challenges and thoughts. I really believe, if you spend time to listen well to others, you could learn something new every day, and you will benefit. Be open to anything new. However, regardless of the huge diversity, I feel we can all speak the same language no matter where I go within GE.

How did your background/previous work experience prepare you for your current role?

I probably made a mistake 10 years ago - after my first Enterprise Resource Planning implementation, I wanted another. And another and another. I did it again and again. Looking back to understand why I focused so exclusively on ERP, I realized that I liked learning something new each time, that my knowledge was continually enhanced, that I learned about new businesses and stayed very close to the business. Everything about it got me excited. As I am not from IT, I have always wanted to be a bridge between IT and business.

What is the most challenging project you've worked on at GE?

If I look back, all of my jobs were very challenging. I have purposely chosen very difficult roles - the kind where you don't have too much competition, because they not only look hard, but they are really difficult to deliver. This sort of challenge brings me fully motivated to the office every day with the thought that I could be part of a very important thing - building the future solutions of our businesses and helping to enable it to grow.

What are the top technical skills that you take pride in possessing and/or still draw upon for your job?

The way I look at skills is similar to building a house - start building the foundation, add your domain expertise, then expand horizontally. There is no clear path to success, but the quality of the foundation is the most important.

What is the best piece of career advice you can offer IT folks embarking on a technical career at GE?

Build your brand by delivering through performance and results first. Always deliver what you have promised and committed to. Focus a lot on the people side of your work, and keep learning something new every day.

After 12 years with GE, I think it is the best company, one that takes care of its best assets: the people! You!