Hamilton Trustee John Rice '78 has been appointed a vice chairman at General Electric Company, under a new reorganization of its 11 businesses into six industry-focused businesses. Rice, currently head of GE's Atlanta-based GE Energy subsidiary, will lead GE Industrial. That unit will include Plastics, Silicones/Quartz, Consumer & Industrial, Security & Sensors, Automation, and Equipment Services. In making the announcement GE Chairman and CEO Jeff Immelt said "John is one of our best operating leaders. He will accelerate our efforts to improve growth rates, margins and cash in these global businesses." Rice will relocate from Atlanta to GE headquarters in Fairfield, Conn.
Rice majored in economics at Hamilton.
He began his General Electric career in 1978 as a member of the Financial Management Program, moving to the GE Corporate Audit Staff in 1981. In 1984 he joined GE Appliances, having various assignments in operations and consumer service.
In 1992 Rice was named president and CEO of GE's Canadian appliance affiliate in Toronto, Canada. In 1994 he assumed leadership of the GE Corporate Audit Staff and a year later was appointed president of GE Plastics Asia/Pacific business headquarters in Singapore. Rice was appointed president and CEO, GE Transportation Systems in Erie, Pennsylvania, in September 1997.
He was named president and CEO of GE Energy, a leading supplier of power generation technology, energy services and energy management systems in November 2000.
