the length of Immelt’s tenure. As Immelt told the Washington Post, the average CEO tenure is eight years.
Greeley hopes Immelt will get more involved in the Boston business community after retiring from GE at the end of the year, perhaps by serving on boards and mentoring startups.
“We may actually see more of him,” Greeley said. “It’s not like he’s going off into the sunset. I don’t think any of us expect that.”
GE, meanwhile, is expected to continue building its relationships with the local business community, including startups.
“While the change of CEO is a major announcement, we’re confident GE will maintain its important work in the energy space and continue making investments in promising, budding energy and clean technology startups,” according to an e-mailed statement from a spokeswoman for local cleantech incubator Greentown Labs.
In an e-mail, a GE spokeswoman reaffirmed the company’s commitment to Boston, calling the relocation “the right move for GE.” GE broke ground on a new headquarters May 8. Flannery and his family will relocate to the Boston area, the spokeswoman said.
“I think having a new CEO always creates opportunities for more outreach and engagement, and [I] hope to see John dig in to his new job in [GE’s] new home town,” Hopcroft said.
