John Francis Welch Jr., known as Jack Welch, was an American business executive, chemical engineer, and writer. He was the Chairman and CEO of General Electric (GE) between 1981 and 2001. During his tenure, Welch became famous for his management style and corporate success, transforming GE into one of the world's largest and most profitable companies.

When Welch retired from GE, he received a severance payment of $417 million, the largest such payment in business history up to that point. In 2006, Welch's net worth was estimated at $720 million.

Welch was born in Peabody, Massachusetts, and passed away in Manhattan, New York.