Mike Barber

Board Director, Executive Coach, Strategic Advisor, Retired GE Corporate Officer

Michael "Mike" Barber

Michael J. Barber is the Chief Diversity Officer for GE, a role he assumed in July 2020.1 2 In this position, he leads GE's inclusion and diversity strategy to drive sustainable change with a focus on leadership accountability, metrics, building an inclusive culture, and reinvigorating inclusion and diversity learning and mentoring.1 2

Barber joined GE in 1981 and held various roles in engineering, operations, and product management prior to becoming CDO.1 2 He served as GE Officer and President and CEO of GE's Molecular Imaging and Computed Tomography (MICT) business from 2016 to 2020.1 3 In this role, he and his team were responsible for driving growth and innovation in CT scanners and molecular imaging.1

Additionally, Barber was the first leader for GE's global health strategy called healthymagination, which aimed to improve the quality, cost, and access to care by 15% or more globally.1 2 He delivered more than 50 products targeting cost, quality, and access, and established key partnerships for GE in cancer, maternal and newborn health, and emerging markets.1

Barber holds patents for novel X-ray system designs and has been directly involved with many product advances in diagnostic imaging.1 2 He was named a Black Enterprise 'Master of Innovation' in 2009, received his BS and honorary doctorate in engineering from the Milwaukee School of Engineering, and serves as a Regent at his alma mater.1 2 3

Barber serves on the board of Talix Inc., Catalent, and the National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering (NACME).1 2 3 He was elected as a Fellow of the American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) in 2014 and named "2018 Person of the Year" by the Rotary Club of Milwaukee.1 2