GE Women Network

The GE Women’s Network was established in 1997.It’s a vehicle to address issues surrounding women and advancement, provide leadership opportunities and help recruit, retain and advance women.It operates like a GE business with an established management structure, operating plans, succession plans and measurable results.Accesses to senior leadership, availability of resources, and accountability for results are the key to GEWN success.

GEWN was initially introduced in the U.S. and then expanded.Today the network operates in eight U.S. and nineteen international regions supported by 100 local hubs.Almost 20,000 people participate in the GEWN with 30% of GEWN events held outside the U.S.

GEWN in Greater China 

GE Women's Network (GEWN) China is officially launched on August 28, 2002. It is an internal GE organization which is open to all professional GE women staff. Its mission is to foster professional women's development through various tools and culture change and to enable retention and growth of women employees in GE.

This organization will start with four key initiatives in China: first, it aims to coach women staff in their work and help them to achieve success in the company. Secondly, it is intended to become a powerful channel to develop woman talents. Thirdly, it will be a society and network where GE woman employees can actively participate in. Last but not least, through participation in a series of woman-related activities, it is expected that this network will serve as an effective tool to enhance GE's public image. Now it have five hubs: Beijing, Shanghai, Hongkong, Wuxi and Taiwan.

  • Coaching for Success: Through seminars and best-practice sharing, GEWN members are learning about the tools and processes that ensure career growth. Much of this work centers on understanding how to successfully manage careers by learning both the written and unwritten rules of how to get ahead. The focus is on performance, personal development, establishing a good network of advisors and mentors, and creating opportunities for visibility and interaction with senior business leaders. Additional focus is being directed to women in Technology, and Commercial fields with teams dedicated to helping provide tools and resources for skill building and career growth in these areas. 
  • Developing Top Talent: Fundamental to the mission of the GEWN is building the pool of women qualified for leadership roles across the company. Workshops and speakers at the local Hubs offer the opportunity for all women to develop their skills, while annual national conferences target high potential women and provide a forum for learning and networking with senior management. Leadership roles within the network provide a unique environment for women to put these learnings in to practice.
  • External Image Management - Community: The GEWN’s success to date provides a tremendous opportunity to share best practices outside of the company and broaden our reach within the community. GEWN leadership are participating in external conferences, and many local Hubs are involved in community service projects. These new and expanding initiatives help to showcase GE’ commitment to the businesses and communities with which it interacts.
  • Work/Life Flexibility: Through seminars, GEWN members are learning how to make them more health and make their life more colorful.

The quick start-up and fast growth of GEWN China have gained recognition both in China and globally at GE:

  • Heather Wang, GEWN China Leader, won a leadership award at the Global GEWN Leadership Summit in 2002, for her excellent leadership in the establishment and development of GEWN China.
  • GEWN China won the “Region of the Year” award at the Global GEWN Leadership Summit in 2003.

Two GEWN China national conferences have been held with senior management participation including Jeff Immelt, Chairman & CEO, GE in China business leaders, and high-profile women professionals as guest speakers, and 300 GE women employees for each conference.

Here are some quotes from the feedback sheet of the GEWN China National Conference:

“GEWN adds a new dimension to our professional life, giving us a sense of belonging.”-- Women employee

“Even if you are not great in handling complex situation, you at least know there are others facing similar issues.It alleviates some pressure knowing that you are now alone (through GEWN).”-- Women employee

TV celebrity Yang Lan said after speaking to the first GEWN China National Conference:“It’s great to see so many outstanding women and exchange ideas with them at this conference.These talented women are working hard to realize their dreams.I wish you success and I hope such conference will be held year after year.It not only provided a learning platform for the GE women, but also gave non-GE people, such as myself, an opportunity to share and learn.”

Another guest speaker, Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue, is so impressed by the quality of the questions the participants asked.“They are great people and I can see the company attaches great importance to the career development of women employees. “

  • GEWN in Community: The role of women employees in Greater China is not only limited to performance at work, but also in community service. GEWN works closely with GE Elfun Volunteers – a global organization of GE volunteers, to improve our communities, our company, and our lives through volunteerism, leadership, and camaraderie.

Besides the general community service projects focusing on education, environmental protection and human care, GEWN also initiated some programs to help female teachers/students in the community.