Louisville, Ky. – GE appliance and lighting chief Jim
Campbell will retire after 30 years with the company on Dec. 31, to be
succeeded in majaps by GE aviation exec Charles “Chip” Blankenship.
Blankenship previously served as VP/general manager for GE
Aviation’s commercial engines operation. He joined GE in 1992 as a staff
scientist at the Global Research Center, and later served as general manager
for Aero Energy, a division of GE Energy.
In his new role as president/CEO of GE Appliances, he is
expected to extend the appliance division’s recent entry into home energy
management products and services. He reports to Charlene Begley, president/CEO of
GE Home & Business Solutions.
Campbell joined GE in 1981 as a Northeast region
sales/marketing trainee for GE Appliances. By 1992 he relocated to corporate
headquarters, here, to lead the division’s marketing, sales and product
management organizations. He was appointed sales and marketing VP and a GE
company officer in 1999, and two years later was named president/CEO of GE Appliances.
A corporate senior VP, Campbell later served as
president/CEO of GE Consumer Products and GE Consumer & Industrial.
“It is with immense gratitude that we’d like to recognize
Jim for his dedicated service to GE,” Begley said. “In his three decades of service
to our company, Jim has distinguished himself as a leader known for his
passionate focus on the customer and his employee development and advocacy.”
She added that “Chip brings a wealth of business leadership
and program and product management expertise” to his new role. “We see
tremendous opportunity to leverage his background and look forward to growth
under his leadership.”
