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Memorial Tributes Volume 13 (2010) / Chapter Skim
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CHARLES E. REED
Pages 204-209

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From page 204...
... Final Tribute Vol 13.indd 204 3/23/10 3:42:28 PM
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From page 205...
... Charles Reed! Not only a distinguished GE leader, but also an amazing engineer." I was speechless -- Charlie was "THE" engineer who had developed the fluidization process I was working on.
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From page 206...
... Charlie became the first general manager of GE's Silicone Products Business Department when it was organized in 1952. Six years later, he moved to the post of general manager of the Metallurgical Products Business Department, which produced cemented tungsten carbides, permanent magnets, the first Man Made™ industrial diamonds, and Borazon® cubic boron nitride products.
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From page 207...
... Jack Welch has said that "under Charlie Reed's leadership, GE became a world leader in high-technology materials -- first in the silicone industry, then in the manufacture of man-made diamonds, and ultimately in the engineering plastics industry." We often refer to an expert by saying "he wrote the textbook on that" -- but Charlie actually did. He was co-author of Applied Mathematics in Chemical Engineering (McGraw-Hill, 1957)
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From page 208...
... But Charlie was more -- the type of leader who could give a deep technical lecture as well as discuss the merits of risk taking in business while explaining the sensitivities in the NPV calculation. I will never forget his parting advice, "Don't let the bean counters set your strategy." Final Tribute Vol 13.indd 208 3/23/10 3:42:29 PM
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From page 209...
... He brought value to his company, to his profession, to an entire industry, and to everyone who knew him. It was Leonardo da Vinci who said that "a life well spent is long." At 94, our friend undeniably had a long life.
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Key Terms

  • products business
  • business department
  • cubic boron
  • engineering division
  • products obsolete

  • gut level
  • tungsten carbides
  • complete process
  • permanent magnets
  • senior leaders

  • jack welch
  • bean counters
  • production plant
  • materials businesses
  • final tribute

  • counters set
  • little bit
  • top manufacturer
  • level trust
  • charlie helped

  • metallurgical products
  • engineering materials
  • world leader
  • accomplished mbas
  • cemented tungsten

  • executive seat
  • passionate scientist
  • held numerous
  • polycarbonate plant
  • technology staff


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