OREANDA-NEWS. GE’s Chief Technology Officer, Mark Little, will retire at the end of the year after 37 years of dedicated service and leadership to GE. Mark was named Chief Technology Officer in 2005 and has led Global Research through a decade of global expansion and the launch of signature initiatives such as the Industrial Internet and Brilliant Factory.

This transition marks another chapter in GE’s transformation to become the world’s premiere Digital Industrial company. Enabled by a global exchange of knowledge and technology, through its Global Research network, GE is creating capabilities that fuel innovation and applications across our industrial sectors.

Succeeding Mark as head of Global Research will be Vic Abate, who is currently President and CEO of GE’s Power Generation business in Schenectady. Abate is a 25-year GE veteran.

Little said, “I’ve had an immensely fulfilling career with GE, particularly the last 10 as GE’s Chief Technology Officer. It has been an honor and a privilege to lead Global Research and what I truly believe is the world’s best team of scientists and engineers.”

Little added, “I am thrilled to see my close colleague and friend, Vic Abate, take the helm as GE’s next Chief Technology Officer and the leader of GE Global Research. At GE Power & Water, Vic built a multi-billion dollar wind business from the ground up and more recently has transformed our thermal business with some of the strongest growth numbers that the business has seen in years. As GE continues its transformation to a Digital Industrial company, I am excited to see the next generation of breakthroughs developed under Vic’s leadership to make the world work better.”

Abate said, “It’s an incredible honor to succeed Mark Little who has built a research powerhouse for the 21st century world. As GE transforms itself to become the world’s premier Digital Industrial company, the global exchange of knowledge and technology will provide the core building blocks to make all of GE’s business greater together and provide better outcomes. I am excited about the opportunity to work with this tremendously talented team and to see what we can innovate and create next.”

Abate will become only the 10th leader in GE Global Research’s 115-year history. As Chief Technology Officer, Abate will oversee GE’s nine global research center facilities and a global team of 50,000 engineers at Global Research and in the GE businesses. Abate’s team includes some of the world’s best scientists and engineers driving advanced technologies and digital competitive differentiation that are shared across GE’s businesses and influence further innovation across the company portfolio.

Joe Mastrangelo will succeed Vic Abate as the new President & CEO of Power Generation at GE Power & Water. Mastrangelo is a 22-year GE veteran who has built broad global operating experience across the energy industry, most recently leading GE’s Power Conversion and Turbomachinery businesses.