When Jack Welch Was Deputy Director for Intelligence
Abstract
Washington, DC, September 2017: The following are the remarks of former DDI Jack Welch's executive assistant, who recently served as a panelist at a joint CSI-DI conference celebrating the 65th anniversary of the Directorate of Intelligence. Jack Welch became Deputy Director for Intelligence (DDI) after long service at General Electric. For me, a longtime student of management theory- especially Welch's- his arrival offered much promise. Amazingly, his arrival also led to the seeming fulfillment of an old dream of mine, service as the DDI's executive assistant. So forgive me, if I can't help but look back on his four years as DDI with fondness. Welch had come on board at the DCI's request and because he felt it was his patriotic duty. He came at a time in which the global challenges we faced and the pace of technological change in the military and policy communities had created a climate in which many were asking how we should adapt. Nevertheless, when Welch arrived, he was greeted both with optimism and skepticism: optimism, because he had, after all, been hailed as one of the greatest- if not the greatest- business leaders of the time. During Welch's 20-plus years as head of GE, he defied conventional wisdom and pioneered some of the modern business strategies that transformed the way we did business late in the 20th century and early in this one. Skepticism was rife because Welch had no background in intelligence and because the importation to CIA of business management ideas had been less than successful (or popular) before.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2004
- Accession Number
- ADA523243
Entities
People
- Zefram Cochran
Organizations
- Central Intelligence Agency