Jay Ireland retires from GE, Farid Fezoua takes over Africa

GE announced Tuesday that its President and CEO, GE Africa, Jay Ireland, will retire from GE on September 30, 2018, after 38 years of service. Farid Fezoua, President and CEO of GE Healthcare Africa, has been named President and Chief Executive Officer of GE Africa in addition to his role in GE Healthcare. This appointment will come into effect on October 1, 2018.

"It was a great honor to build GE Africa," said Jay Ireland.

"The last 7 years in Sub-Saharan Africa have been the most rewarding of my 38 years in GE.The opportunities in many sectors, optimism, energy and the entrepreneurial nature of people have All contributed to a wonderful experience, I am extremely proud of the value we have created with our customers and partners, and I want to thank the 2600 employees in the region for their support and commitment to making GE a valuable partner for development. Infrastructure in Africa. "

During his career, Ireland held several executive positions at GE, where he led GE Asset Management (GEAM), a global investment company with About $ 120 billion in badets under management at the time.He was president of NBC Universal Television Stations and Network Operations where he was responsible for all 10 TV channels. NBC Universal, the Telemundo network and its 16 Spanish-language television stations. Prior to joining NBC in 1999, he was CFO of GE Plastics. Ireland began her career at General Electric in 1980 as part of her 3 year financial management program as a US Army officer.

Ireland plays an important foreign role in favor of investment in Africa. He is the chairman of the US President's Advisory Council on doing business in Africa. He is also co-chair of the US Africa Business Center – launched in 2015 to lead the US business community's engagement with African regional economic communities, the private sector, and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Ireland was a member of the African Development Bank's Special Panel on Accelerating the Implementation of its Ten-Year Strategy. In 2012 and 2013, he received the "International Entrepreneur of the Year" award from Africa Investor Magazine and in October 2017 he received the "Princeton in Africa" ​​Medal for his innovative leadership and dedication to investment and high impact growth. "Jay has been an inspiring leader, colleague, and role model for 38 remarkable years with the company," said Alex Dimitrief, President and CEO of GE Global. "He has had a spectacular career." Under Jay's leadership, GE has tripled annual revenue in sub-Saharan Africa and established a strong cadre of African executives who lead business operations on the continent. Africa: GE Healthcare's excellent reputation in Africa makes Farid the right choice to lead the next phase of GE's strategy and growth in the region. "

With a career spanning almost 28 years, Farid Fezoua has led GE Healthcare's growth in Africa since 2012. He led the development of large-scale large-scale modernization programs with public and private projects / partnerships across Africa.

Farid joined GE in 2003 to lead the financing efforts for the Middle East and Africa Region of Turkey.In 2005, he was appointed Regional Director for GE Capital Markets Corporate, Senior Client and Financing projects for all GE companies in the Middle East and Africa.

Prior to joining GE, he held several management positions at international banks. He began his career at BCEN-Eurobank, Paris (a subsidiary of the Russian Bank of Foreign Trade). He then held the position of Deputy Chief of Commodities and Trade Finance at B.A.I.I. (Arab and International Investment Bank, a subsidiary of BNP specializing in trade and investment in the MENA region). He was also Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Director of Banking and Finance Correspondence at the Arab Banking Corporation, Paris Branch.

Farid has extensive experience in financing trade and investment flows in the Middle East, Africa and Europe. He has developed a solid track record in the development and financing of infrastructure projects in the areas of energy, transportation and health care, as well as commercial operations and management.