GE recruits new general counsel and corporate secretary

GE has recruited Michael Holston to join the company as senior vice president, general counsel and secretary effective April 9.

In his new role, Holston will lead the company’s global legal, compliance and ethics, corporate secretary and environment health & safety organizations. He will report to GE chair and CEO John Flannery.

Holston will succeed Alex Dimitrief, who was named senior vice president and president and CEO for GE’s global growth organization in December 2017. The company said at the time that Dimitrief would continue to also serve as general counsel for GE until his replacement was found.

Holston is joining GE from Merck, where he served most recently as executive vice president and general counsel.  According to GE, he joined Merck in 2012 as executive vice president and chief ethics and compliance officer. Before joining Merck, he served as executive vice president, general counsel and board secretary of Hewlett-Packard from 2007 to 2012.

A spokesperson for Merck did not have an immediate comment.

‘Mike brings more than 25 years of experience working across multiple industries,’ Flannery says in a statement. ‘He is an accomplished legal strategist and litigator as well as an expert in managing compliance. I look forward to working with him as he leads our world-class legal organization.’

Holston says in a statement: ‘I am humbled to have the opportunity to lead GE’s global legal organization, to work with John and his new leadership team and to contribute to GE, an iconic company, as it transforms for the future.’