It Started with a Man and a Lightbulb

Thomas Edison is known for inventing the light bulb and many other inventions that made him a household name. His influence helped shape much of today’s modern technology and his inventions have had a long-lasting effect on our everyday lives.

At the forefront of innovation is a company like GE, and today on All Business with Jeffrey Hayzlett, I get to speak with their Vice Chair, Beth Comstock. The GE brand is synonymous with greatness and her challenge was bringing a 140-year old company into the future.

Beth was the Chief Marketing Officer at GE back in 2003 and now serves as the company’s first female Vice Chair. In an effort to merge their industrial beginnings with their digital future, Beth and her team are constantly working to accelerate the industrial Internet, enhance clean energy, and affordable health offerings.

We discussed what drives Beth and how her passion for discovery motivates her career goals. We also talked about her role as the first female Vice Chair and her opinion on why GE is one of a few major companies that has that role. Beth dives into what that role means for her and the responsibilities that go along with it.

“Often things are not what they seem and you need to be open to the journey and the exploration,” Beth told me and I couldn’t agree more.

Beth reveals what her and her team look for when they are looking to invest in a start-up, the criteria they are looking for, what GE has to offer the start-ups they partner with, and what would make them successful in GE’s eyes.

Find out more about Beth and her journey and how the innovate GE has stayed around and relevant for 140 years. To listen to the entire interview, subscribe to All Business with Jeffrey Hayzlett on iTunes (episode 42) or listen here: https://bit.ly/1UiVzcv