Beth Comstock
Elizabeth Marie “Beth” Comstock is an American businesswoman and former corporate Vice Chairman of General Electric. She is a notable former Chief Marketing Officer of NBC Universal and led the digital strategy at GE from 2010 to 2018. Comstock is a graduate of Brown University and the University of Virginia School of Law. She is the author of a New York Times bestselling memoir, Imagine It Forward: Courage, Creativity, and the Power of Change.
Comstock began her professional career in journalism. She first served as an assistant Broadway press agent for theatrical productions in New York before beginning a career in broadcasting. Comstock worked at NBC from 1986 to 2006 in various roles, eventually becoming the Chief Marketing Officer of NBCUniversal. In this role, she oversaw all marketing, educational, research, and cross-promotional activities at the company. She was also a driving force behind NBC’s 21st century focus on multi-platforming its content.
In 2009, Comstock joined General Electric (GE) as their first vice-president of integrated marketing services. In this role, she developed marketing strategies to connect GE to its customers through social media, digital content creation, and increased customer loyalty. In 2010, she became responsible for GE’s digital market efforts, leading the effort up until 2018. Comstock currently serves as a consultant to the company to help GE build a new customer experience.
In 2019, Comstock released her first book titled Imagine It Forward, a personal memoir that recounts her professional journey and organizational transformation experience, as well as her approach to creating an innovative mindset to tackle the complexities of a quickly changing world. The book explores the power of bold ideas and tools that can be used by anyone to achieve personal and organizational transformation. Comstock shares her personal story throughout the book, covering topics such as risk-taking, resilience, transformation, and her approach to facing life’s challenges.
Comstock’s book also focuses on promoting courage and creativity and helping readers find their own paths to creating anything. She encourages readers to be creative problem solvers, think differently and act differently, and to value work-life balance. Throughout the book, Comstock shares ten lessons that she believes are crucial to successful transformation, and she reflects upon her experiences in leading GE’s transformation journey.
In addition to Imagine It Forward, Comstock is also working on a second book, a handbook to accompany her first work. This book is expected to provide readers with a second-level examination of the same topics and will focus on imparting practical advice on how to create an innovative culture and embrace change.
Beth Comstock’s memoir, Imagine It Forward, is an inspirational read for anyone looking to break the mold and achieve personal and organizational transformation. Her story is inspirational and her advice is invaluable. It’s a must-read for anyone looking to make a difference in today’s ever-changing world.
