BOSTON (WBAP/KLIF News) – A nationally regarded leader and business icon has died.
Former General Electric Chairman and CEO Jack Welch passed away at 84.
He started at GE as a chemical engineer in 1960 and rose to CEO by 1981 at age 45.
During Welch’s tenure at GE, the company’s stock soared and it became the most valuable company in the world.
According to the Associated Press, Welch’s results-driven approach were credited with helping GE turn a financial corner.
Some business analysts criticized his style, citing the cutting of thousands of jobs in Welch’s efforts to make the multinational company profitable.
Jack was larger than life and the heart of GE for half a century. He reshaped the face of our company and the business world. He will be missed. We will continue to honor his legacy by doing exactly what Jack would want us to do: win. pic.twitter.com/3rxng5JOHk
— General Electric (@generalelectric) March 2, 2020
According to the New York Times, Welch’s wife Suzy said his cause of death was renal failure.
Copyright 2020. WBAP/KLIF News. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.