GE: Richard Laxer, Pres, CEO, Corporate Financial Services, Biography

Rich Laxer is President and CEO of GE Capital's EMEA operations. In this role, Rich oversees one of the region's largest and most profitable commercial lending organisations providing a wide range of services including receivables financing, factoring, distribution finance, leasing and commercial loans to businesses of all sizes. GE Capital has over 500,000 customers in EMEA and also includes the exciting $8bn commercial finance joint venture between GE and Mubadala, based in Abu Dhabi, which is exclusively focused on high-return investment opportunities throughout the region.

Prior to his current role, Rich was President and CEO of GE Corporate Financial Services, GE's principal corporate lending business, managing 3,800 professionals and a large investment and credit portfolio across North America and Europe.

He was previously President and CEO of GE Capital Solutions, one of the world's leading leasing and asset management operations with a presence in 30 countries. Before that he led GE Corporate Financial Services' European business, based in London.

From 2001 to 2003, he was based in Tokyo running GE Real Estate's Asia Pacific activities. From 1991 to 2000, he held a variety of leadership positions at GE Real Estate including the Fund Capital Group, which he established.

Rich Laxer's 24-year career with GE began in the company's Financial Management Program. He has been a GE Officer since 2003 and is a member of GE's Corporate Executive Council. Rich holds a B.S. in Business from Skidmore College and is a member of the Friends of the President's Council at Skidmore College and also a member of the Board of Directors for the Business Council of Fairfield County.