GE Careers Blog.

Over a hundred business leaders were eager to hear the story of GE’s initiative in Africa from a panel of GE execs at the Executive Leadership Council’s 10th Annual CEO Diversity Summit at the New York Hilton. The panelists — Michael Barber, VP of healthymagination; Deborah Elam, VP and GE’s Chief Diversity Officer; and Steve Bolze, President and CEO of Power & Water of GE Energy – were there for a single purpose: to convey how an initiative started by GE’s own African American Forum (AAF) led to a massive shift in GE’s business strategy, and eventually resulted in a three-billion-dollar revenue growth for GE’s business in Africa.

Moderated by Dr. David Thomas from Harvard Business School, the discussion focused on how GE used the AAF’s ideas and ingenuity to not only empower its employees to make a difference in Africa, but also to learn from their innovations and rethink the business strategy in the region – and thereby grow GE’s business in Africa from $700 million to $3.6 billion in revenue.

Nabil Habayeb, President & CEO of GE’s Middle East and Africa region, explained how the region needs sustainable development models that respect health, safety and environment. “The transformational impact of such partnerships has been proven in both the energy and water sectors in the Middle East,” said Habayeb in the article. “GE has been driving investments in solar-powered desalination plants that meet the growing demand for water in the region, while also working with energy companies to introduce advanced technologies that enhance production and distribution efficiencies.”

All around the world, Maker Faires bring out an array of inventors, tinkerers and hidden geniuses. Africa recently held its second one in Kenya, but as South Africa’s The Daily Maverick summed it up, the innovative energy in Africa takes a decidedly practical path: “Go to a Maker Faire in New York, Detroit or Dublin and you’ll be dazzled by hobbyists who had the time and inclination to make a shark mobile, kinetic squid sculpture or a solar-powered chariot pulled by an Arnold Schwarzenegger robot. Back home in Africa things are done a little differently. ‘In the West, Maker Faires are mainly for creative types who tinker around in their spare time. But what we find in Africa is that it is much more about practical innovation. It’s about ingenuity driven by necessity. It’s all about creating something that people can try to make a living off of,’ says Ushahidi’s Erik Hersman, one of the organizers of Maker Faire Africa.”

“I have greatly enjoyed working with our technology because it is never a “one size fits all” approach we always listen and assess carefully a customer’s need and design a solution that best fits his or her needs.”

“GE has accorded me a great opportunity to explore new water technologies. The company has a very rich and diversified range of products, which strike a cord with our customers because they are relevant to their needs. I have also enjoyed going through many training sessions at GE.”