Former CEO of General Electric, Jack Welch, in conversation before the Board of Trade on June 4

MONTRÉAL, April 23, 2015 /CNW Telbec/ - The Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal is pleased to announce that it will welcome to its Bell International Leaders forum the former President and CEO of General Electric (GE) and noted author Jack Welch, June 4 at 8 p.m. at Théâtre Maisonneuve. His spouse, Suzy Welch, the well-known business journalist and television commentator, will conduct this interview on leadership, entrepreneurship, corporate management and achieving one's professional goals.

"Jack Welch is a manager like no other and a visionary who knows no bounds," said Michel Leblanc, President and CEO of the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal. "Under his leadership, multinational conglomerate General Electric's market value rose from $14 billion to $410 billion. He took the company to the top of the industry. His unique management style and his instinct for business success have inspired many companies. While at the head of GE, he proved that it takes guts to succeed in business. It is an honour to host an international leader who embodies change, vision and success. He will be an inspiration for the city's business community."

"evenko is proud to partner with the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal to present Jack Welch, one of the most distinguished leaders in the world of management," said Jacques Aubé, Vice-President and General Manager of evenko. "His legendary vision and leadership, which marked his time at GE and inspired his top-selling books, continue to have a growing influence. He will definitely have invaluable lessons to share."

Jack Welch began his career with the General Electric Company in 1960, became its eighth Chairman and CEO in 1981, and was named "Manager of the Century" by Fortune magazine in 2000. Upon retiring from GE in 2001, Jack Welch published his autobiography, Jack: Straight from the Gut, an international bestseller; his second international bestseller, Winning, was published in 2005 and written with his wife.

For the past decade, Mr. Welch has been active as a special partner with the private equity firm Clayton Dubilier & Rice, an advisor to IAC/InterActiveCorp, and a popular public speaker addressing audiences around the world. In 2010, he founded the Jack Welch Management Institute, a fully accredited online MBA program with 900 students.

On April 14, Jack and Suzy Welch published their most recent book, The Real-Life MBA: Your No-BS Guide to Winning the Game, Building a Team, and Growing Your Career. In it, the co-authors explore a range of topics that will be addressed the evening of June 4.

"At a time when the global economy remains fragile and is making slow progress, businesses have to adapt fast, accelerate their efforts and demonstrate agility to remain competitive," said Mr. Leblanc. "By sharing his vision and principles, Jack Welch promises to inspire us to better tackle real challenges that affect not only major multinationals like GE, but also SMEs and large local corporations."

This Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal event is made possible through the support of Bell, in partnership with evenko and in cooperation with CJAD 800, La Presse+, the Montreal Gazette, Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP and TACT Intelligence-conseil.

Before Jack Welch, the Board of Trade's Bell International Leaders series welcomed Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Mayor Rudy Giuliani, President Nicolas Sarkozy, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, well-known television host Larry King and Twitter co-founder Biz Stone.

For more information about Jack Welch's appearance or to take part, please visit the Board of Trade website at www.btmm.qc.ca/en/r_il_jwelch_0615/.

About the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal
The Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal has over 7,000 members. Its mission is to be the voice of Montréal's business community and to promote the city's prosperity. It is involved in key areas of economic development, advocating a philosophy of action based on engagement, credibility, proactivity, collaboration and innovation. The Board of Trade also offers a range of specialized services to individuals and to business of all sizes to support them in their growth at home and abroad.

About evenko
evenko is a Quebec company which has become the most important independent promoter and producer in Canada. Presenting more than 1,200 musical, family and sporting events annually throughout the province of Quebec, Atlantic Canada and the eastern United States, evenko plays host to the biggest entertainers in the world and invests in the development and promotion of Quebec artists. Creator and producer of three festivals, the Osheaga Music and Arts festival, Heavy MONTRÉAL and ÎleSoniq which are held at Parc Jean-Drapeau in Montréal, evenko is also the exclusive manager of the Bell Centre, the Virgin Mobile Corona Theatre and the future Place Bell in Laval. In January 2015, Pollstar, the industry's most respected source, ranked evenko top promoter in Canada as well as 9^th amongst the most important promoters in North America. The evenko trademark is the property of L'Aréna des Canadiens Inc.

SOURCE Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal

Michelle LLambias Meunier, Advisor, Media Relations, Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal, Tel.: [phone], ext. 4042, [email protected]; Facebook: www.facebook.com/chambremontreal; Twitter: @chambremontreal, Follow the discussion: #ccmmqcca