Reginald H. Jones

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Reginald Harold Jones (born July 11, 1917 in Stoke-on-Trent , England , † December 30, 2003 in Greenwich , Connecticut ) was an American business manager . He was Chairman of the Board and CEO of General Electric from 1972 to 1981 .

Life

After attending school, Jones began studying at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania , from which he graduated in 1939 with a Bachelor of Science degree. He then began his career at General Electric. He first worked in Schenectady , where he attended the in-house Business Training Course and then toured the national company branches as an auditor for eight years. In the following years he was in a leading position in the operational business of the air conditioning, energy supply, plant construction and sales departments. In 1961 he became Vice President , in 1968 Chief Financial Officer and in 1970 Senior Vice President of the parent company.

Jones was promoted to President of General Electric in 1972, and later that year, succeeding Fred J. Borch, became Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the company. During his tenure as CEO, the company changed its economic focus; It changed from a manufacturer of electrical and household appliances to a global group for materials, mineral resources, services and transport. As the market segments changed, sales grew from $ 10 billion to $ 22 billion and profits from $ 572 million to $ 1.4 billion by the end of Jones' tenure in 1981. In 1981 he was succeeded as CEO by Jack Welch .

In addition to his work as CEO, Jones was from 1974 to 1980 co-chair of the Business Roundtable , a conservative group that advocates business-friendly public policy. From 1979 to 1980 he was chairman of The Business Council . He also acted as an advisor to the incumbent US Presidents Richard Nixon , Gerald Ford , Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan . In 1980 the US News & World Report named him the most influential businessman in the country based on a poll by the Wall Street Journal and the Gallup Organization .

After leaving General Electric in 1981, Jones continued to serve on various boards of directors and supervisory boards, including at Merck , Bethlehem Steel , General Signal , General Re and Federated Department Stores . He was also a member of the Board of Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Wharton School. The Wharton School opened the General Electric-funded Reginald H. Jones Center for Management Policy, Strategy and Organization in 1983 .

Reginald H. Jones had been married to Grace Butterfield Cole since 1940. The couple had a son and a daughter.

honors and awards

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d e f g h Wolfgang Saxon: Reginald Harold Jones, 86, Dies; Led General Electric. In: The New York Times . January 2, 2004, accessed July 12, 2016 .
  2. ↑ a b Past Leaders. Reginald H. Jones. Chairman & CEO 1972–1981. General Electric, accessed July 12, 2016 .
  3. ^ The Business Council Background. Former chairmen. (No longer available online.) The Business Council, archived from the original on March 3, 2016 ; accessed on July 12, 2016 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.thebusinesscouncil.org
  4. ↑ a b c d e Statement from General Electric Company on Former Chairman and CEO Reginald H. Jones. Press release. In: Business Wire . General Electric, January 1, 2004, accessed July 12, 2016 .
  5. ↑ a b c Honorary Graduates. University of Surrey, accessed July 12, 2016 .
  6. ↑ Yale University Honorary Degree Honorands 1977-2015. (PDF; 50.6 kB) (No longer available online.) Yale University, archived from the original on July 12, 2016 ; accessed on July 12, 2016 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / oir.yale.edu
  7. ^ The Business Leader as Statesman. Reginald H. Jones, W'39, HON'80. Wharton School, accessed July 12, 2016 .
  8. ↑ Dave Richwine: Harvard University awarded honorary degrees Thursday to former Secretary ... United Press International , June 4, 1981, accessed July 12, 2016 .
personal data
SURNAME Jones, Reginald H.
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Jones, Reginald Harold (full name); Jones, Reg (nickname)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American manager
DATE OF BIRTH July 11, 1917
PLACE OF BIRTH Stoke-on-Trent , England
DATE OF DEATH December 30, 2003
Place of death Greenwich , Connecticut