National rank
#8
Position in the 2026 American CEO Performance Ranking.
CEO & company research profile · Reviewed 2026-09-13
H. Lawrence Culp Jr.: GE Aerospace
H. Lawrence Culp Jr. ranks #8 in the 2026 American CEO Performance Ranking with a Meridian score of 82.6. This expanded profile shows the operating record, strategic case, risk factors and category scores behind that result.
Meridian score
82.6 / 100
Composite score using the common seven-factor Meridian framework.
Company
GE Aerospace
A nationally significant listed company included in the 2026 research universe.
Leadership tenure
GE CEO from 2018 and GE Aerospace chairman and CEO since its 2024 launch
Tenure is considered when deciding how much operating evidence can reasonably be attributed to the current CEO.
Operating record
2025 performance snapshot
GE Aerospace's 2025 adjusted revenue rose 21%, operating profit increased 25% to $9.1bn and free cash flow increased 24% to $7.7bn, with backlog near $190bn.
Portfolio simplification and aerospace operating improvement produce a strong capital-efficiency and strategic-execution profile.
Seven-factor score breakdown
| Factor | Weight | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Shareholder performance | 25% | 87 / 100 |
| Revenue & earnings | 20% | 92 / 100 |
| Capital efficiency | 15% | 94 / 100 |
| Strategic execution | 15% | 97 / 100 |
| Innovation & future investment | 10% | 88 / 100 |
| Workforce signal | 10% | 89 / 100 |
| Governance | 5% | 90 / 100 |
Category scores are editorial-data assessments based on the published methodology and available public evidence. They are designed for comparative research, not investment advice.
Strategic assessment
Strategic execution
Use the FLIGHT DECK operating system to improve safety, delivery, cost and working capital while concentrating GE on aerospace after the group separation.
Capital allocation
Portfolio simplification and stronger free cash flow have materially improved capital efficiency and balance-sheet flexibility.
Innovation and future investment
Investment centres on next-generation engines, services analytics, manufacturing productivity and supply-chain technology.
Workforce and operating model
Lean operating practices and frontline process improvement are explicitly embedded into the management system.
What could change the ranking
Risks and counterweights
Aerospace supply-chain bottlenecks, engine durability, certification complexity and concentrated exposure to aviation cycles remain relevant.
Future editions can move the score materially when annual results, acquisitions, capital-allocation decisions, management changes, regulatory events or significant governance developments alter the evidence base.
View the primary or investor source used for this profile.
Meridian uses annual reports, official results, filings and attributable investor disclosures as the primary evidence layer. Comparative scores are versioned and may change as new evidence becomes available.