IMLP Latin America Champion Interview - João Lencioni

Here we are with one more episode of our interview series with GE Leaders! Have not read the previous editions? Check them out:

Matt Brooks - IMLP Global Program Manager

Beth Desormeaux - Manager for Learning and Development at GE

Tommy Tang - IMLP China Rep

Credits: Márcio Bruno - Photographer

 1. Could you give us a quick overview of your career (before and within GE)?

My background is in Electronics Engineering and I have a post-graduation extension in business. For about 10 years after graduation I was very involved with the design & integration of various types of computing systems in industries like Telecom, Aerospace and Automotive. Then I migrated to Financial Services to develop systems and solutions for banks till I joined GE in Brazil in 1998 to start-up GE Consumer Finance operations. In GE, I have worked for GE Capital and Corporate in EUA, Latin America and Germany. Since 2006, I have led Corporate IT for Latin America and since 2009, I accumulated Indirect Sourcing responsibilities as well.

2. What are the key differentiators of being an IMLP for an IT employee at GE?

Like other leadership programs in GE, IMLP provides the opportunity to accelerate your learning by exposing the trainee to different businesses environments, leadership styles, and business problems during the course of the rotations. This is a great opportunity to learn how to adapt quickly into a new environment and deliver under tight time constraints. People know that IMLPs went through those hurdles and therefore trust their capacity to take even more stretch challenges ahead.

3. What attributes are required for someone to apply for the IMLP in the region? 

Great education background and academic performance and willingness to get yourself immersed into very dynamic and matrixed business environments that will stretch your capabilities. A prospective IMLP should also have a lot of initiative and like technology and how it can be applied to improve business results.

4. What is expected from an IMLP during and after the program?

During the program: do not get satisfied with a glass half full! Ask for more stretch goals if you are not challenged enough. Push back if you see things that do not make sense. Put your thoughts out there… don’t be afraid to bring in new ideas.

After the program: Understand that you will not be CIO first day out of the IMLP program. It is certainly supposed to be a career accelerator but you still will have to go through jobs and experiences before getting there. Continue to stretch yourself into more challenging positions each time and continue to learn how to leverage technology for business results. There are many fantastic experiences and people you can leverage throughout the organization.

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India IMLPs Roundtable with Charlene Begley

This is first time that GE held its quarterly Corporate Executive Council (CEC) outside of the US and inside India. Being the growth engine that India is, this was an obvious choice, and it gave us this wonderful opportunity to interact with senior GE leaders.

Two and half days and a flight later we found ourselves all suited up for a round table with one of the fastest growing leaders in GE. And, if the engaging town hall with Jeff Immelt earlier in the morning was anything to go by, we were in for a great day of interaction with senior GE leaders! With Vic Bhagat (CIO - GG&O) and Amarjeet Singh (CIO India) also joining Charlene for the round table, we hoped that the meeting would be fruitful, and it sure lived up to its expectations.

The meeting started with a high energy level that Charlene brought into the room as soon as she walked in. "I'm excited to meet you all, let’s do a quick round of introductions," she said, as she walked from the door to her seat. After the introductions, the conversation varied from IT Strategy, the GPB (growth playbook), careers in GE, and Charlene's advice for IMLPs.

Below is the transcript of the IMLP interactions with Charlene, Vic, and Amarjeet:

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What's a CIO really do?: Job Shadowing at GE Capital

Have you ever wondered what a CIO does on a day-to-day basis?  What their priorities are, what their vision for the business is, what concerns keep them up at night?  Well, you’re not the only one.  Over the past years, GE Capital IMLPs have been voicing their desire to get more exposure to senior management and have more one-on-one time with top GE professionals.  Seeing this, GE Capital IMLPs engaged in best-practice sharing with other GE leadership programs and, from it, a new GE Capital IMLP initiative was born… IMLP Job Shadowing.

So, what does job shadowing mean at GE Capital?  Well, it’s pretty much like it sounds really.  Each IMLP is given a chance once a rotation to follow around their business’s CIO or other senior IT professional for a full or half-day.  However, this doesn’t mean that you simply get to watch from afar as he/she does his/her job.  Quite the opposite in fact.  Job shadowing gets you involved in the day, allowing you to actively participate in strategic-level meetings, project tollgate reviews, and conference calls with upper management.

In addition to getting this out-of-the-ordinary experience and exposure, job shadowing allows IMLPs to connect with their CIO on a personal level… learning about their families, hopes, dreams, drive, vision, etc.  And where better to get personalized career advice than from someone who’s already worked his or her way up in the organization?  Job shadowing goes beyond a simple networking opportunity, offering a real learning opportunity to IMLPs and giving them a glimpse of what it really looks and feels like to be in a CIO’s shoes.

Though the job shadowing program is currently only done within GE Capital, it has met with rave reviews thus far.  This success has spurred discussion amongst other businesses as well and could work to expand the program beyond GE Capital in the future.  However, this is a great example of how each business’s IMLP program brings something different and special to the table.  Each business's IMLP program, though a fully integrated part of the whole, is it’s own community with it’s own special aspects.  A tight knit family with ties that connect you to countless others throughout the company and roots that spread to the most senior of GE officers.

Gary Reiner Unplugged.

While at Junior Bootcamp in Danbury,CT  Gary Reiner (GE’s current CIO) traveled from the nearby Fairfield offices to visit a group of 90 newly hired IMLP trainees.

Before his arrival, the main lobby was buzzing with excitement- practicing prepared questions, theorizing if he would arrive in a helicopter or reviewing Google search results, like the recent article in Fortune that named him “one of the world’s most influential” in business today.

After a light lunch, he stood up in front a crowd composed of recent college grads from all over the world: India, Hungary, France, the Netherlands, Spain, and the US with degrees ranging from MIS, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, International Business, Business Administration and Information Technology.

“Unplugged” from PowerPoint, Mr. Reiner spoke of IMLPs becoming advocates for change across businesses and the importance of seeing constraints and devising solutions.

His informal Q&A session left the group feeling a connection to higher management at GE.