Jack Welch

Former Chairman and CEO General Electric Corporation Jack Welch received a B.S. in chemical engineering from the University of Massachusetts in 1957, and his M.S. and Ph.D. in chemical engineering from the University of Illinois. He joined General Electric in 1960 as a junior engineer. He became a vice-president of GE in 1972, senior vice-president in 1977, vice-chairman in 1979 and became the corporation's youngest Chairman and CEO in 1981. During his 20-year tenure, the company's market value grew from $12 billion to $280 billion. He was known for eliminating red tape and bureaucracy. Welch has written two books, including Jack: Straight from the Gut (2001), and his most recent, with wife Suzy Welch, Winning (2005).