Copying and distributing are prohibited without permission of the publisher
CEOs of GE and Caterpillar to open US Ex-Im Conference
17 February 2010
GE CEO Jeff Immelt and Caterpillar CEO Jim Owens are the opening speakers at the US Ex-Im Bank annual conference 2010 on March 11-12 In Washington, D.C.
Read more:
[US Ex-Im]
[Ex-Im conference]
[GE]
[Catepillar]
[small business exporters]
GE chairman and CEO Jeffrey Immelt and Caterpillar chairman and CEO James Owens will deliver opening remarks at the Export-Import Bank of the United States (US Ex-Im) 2010 annual conference, Powering Jobs, Sales and Profits through Exports, on March 11 in Washington, D.C.
Immelt and Owens will kick off the two-day conference in a conversation with US Ex-Im chairman and president Fred Hochberg. The conference will be held at the Omni Shoreham Hotel and will be attended by more than 1,000 US exporters, domestic and international lenders, brokers and foreign buyers and government representatives.
“These two highly successful global business leaders are ideally suited to address our conference theme,” says Hochberg. “Their insights will benefit all conference participants, small and large businesses alike, both new and experienced exporters, to help increase US exports and jobs and contribute to the nation’s economic recovery.”
Immelt, GE’s ninth chairman, has held his current post since 2001. Since joining GE in 1982 he has held several global leadership positions in GE's plastics, appliance, and medical businesses. In 1989 he became an officer of GE and in 1997 joined the GE Capital Board. He was appointed president and chief executive officer in 2000. Immelt is a member of The Business Council, and is on the board of the New York Federal Reserve Bank. He has been named one of the "World's Best CEOs" three times by Barron's.
Owens was appointed to his current position at Caterpillar in 2004. He joined the company in 1972 as a corporate economist and held international posts including chief economist of Caterpillar Overseas S.A. in Switzerland, and managing director of P.T. Natra Raya, Caterpillar’s joint venture in Indonesia. Owens also held executive positions in Peoria, Illinois, and San Diego, California. He is chairman of the Business Council, and a member of the Business Roundtable and the President’s Economic Recovery Advisory Board in Washington D.C.
Both GE and Caterpillar have used US Ex-Im financing, and they will share their experience with many small business exporters in the audience. In fiscal year 2009 the bank provided a record $4.36 billion in financing in 2,540 transactions for the direct benefit of small businesses.