Russell Stokes is the president and chief executive officer of GE Energy Connections and senior vice president of GE. Energy Connections is GE’s electrification and automation business, bringing the world reliable, efficient energy that enables utilities and other customers to manage electricity from the point of power generation to the point of power consumption.  It is an $11 billion global business with 45,000 employees who work across 150 countries.                                                           As a 20-year GE veteran, Russell has a wide range of GE corporate and business unit leadership experience in addition to his deep industry, company and customer knowledge.  Prior to leading Energy Connections, Russell was the president and chief executive officer of GE Transportation, a global leader in rail, mining and marine industries with annual revenue of $6 billion and more than 12,000 employees globally.    Before taking the helm at GE Transportation, Russell led global services for the business where he created a customer- and quality-driven business focused on analytics and reliability.  He worked on the transformation of GE Transportation’s service business launching RailConnect 360, a suite of ecosystem based solutions to drive impactful outcomes for global rail customers. Before joining GE Transportation, he was the general manager for GE Aviation’s global sourcing organization, responsible for the strategy and execution of $7 billion in global purchases, and was a member of GE’s Operating Council.   Russell has held numerous positions in finance for both GE Aviation and GE Lighting, ranging from business development to global financial planning and analysis. He started his career in sales for a PC manufacturer before joining GE.   In addition to his executive leadership, Russell plays an active role in the community.  He is a member of the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce Executive Committee and Public Policy Advisory Board, Usher’s New Look Board, the Atlanta Junior Achievement Executive Committee, and the Atlanta Committee for Progress Board. He was also a former member of World Business Chicago, The Economic Club of Chicago, and The Executive Club of Chicago. Russell graduated from Cleveland State University with a degree in finance and has completed GE’s Financial Management Program.  

 Advancement in engineering