Jeffrey Immelt, current chairman of the board and chief executive officer of the U.S. based conglomerate General Electric, will be the keynote speaker on March 24, 2011 for the College of Charleston Friends of the Library’s Winthrop Roundtable. Immelt’s appearance is the culminating event in the year-long environmental lecture series, “Going Green: Fad or Forever?”. Immelt has played an instrumental role in guiding GE’s environmental conservation efforts and led efforts for GE in the areas of pollution control, natural resource management, and environmental innovation.
“For nearly a decade, Jeff Immelt has led one of the world’s largest and most respected companies, and we are pleased that he will be sharing his insights on environmental sustainability as part of the College’s Friends of the Library Winthrop Roundtable,” says College of Charleston President P. George Benson. “His visit reflects the growing prestige of the Winthrop Roundtable and the caliber of speakers that the lecture series consistently brings to the College.”
Immelt has held several global leadership positions since coming to GE in 1982, including roles in GE’s Plastics, Appliance, and Healthcare businesses. In 1989 he became an officer of GE and joined the GE Capital Board in 1997. In 2000, Immelt was appointed president and chief executive officer. Immelt has been named one of the “World’s Best CEOs” three times by Barron’s, and since he began serving as chief executive officer, GE has been named “America’s Most Admired Company” in a poll conducted by Fortune magazine and one of “The World’s Most Respected Companies” in polls by Barron’s and the Financial Times.
President Barack Obama announced earlier this year that Immelt will be the chairman of the new Council on Jobs and Competitiveness. The council will focus on finding new ways to encourage the private sector to hire and invest in American competitiveness.
The Friends of the Library’s “Going Green” series addresses issues such as alternative energy sources, emissions trading, food scarcity and local consumption, and sustainable building practices. In September, the Friends of the Library welcomed environmental artist Bryant Holsenbeck as she created a 28-foot installation made entirely out of single-use plastic items with the exhibit, Bottle Cap Mandala. Watch a video.
The series also featured panel discussions in November concerning the positive role that Charlestonians can play on global environmental issues, and the future of energy and alternative energy sources. In the spring, panel discussions will address the issues of water quality and scarcity, and sustainable building. Watch a video.
The Winthrop Roundtable was founded in 1989 to serve as a forum for reflection and discussion on some of the most important issues currently facing our society. Presented by the Friends of the Library, the Winthrop Roundtable lecture series is one of the marquee events at the College of Charleston, attracting many business, community, and academic leaders to campus each year. Past keynote speakers at the Winthrop Roundtable include U.S. Senator John Kerry; Mark Dimunation, Chief of Rare Books for the Library of Congress; Shashi Tharoor, Under Secretary General for the United Nations; Emmy Award-winning journalist Cokie Roberts; and John Huey, Editor-in-Chief of Time, Inc.
The Winthrop Roundtable is an invitation-only event. For more information on attending, contact Jenny Fowler at fowlerj@cofc.edu or 843.953.6526.
