Powering change

CAMILLE Levy's childhood dream was to be a diplomat. Growing up in a family that travelled widely to countries including Syria, Turkey and Israel, she found the idea of working with different countries and new cultures fascinating.

Today, she is the chief executive officer of GE's Steam Power business in Asia Pacific and China - a role that she has held since January 2019. It seems at a glance a bit removed from the world of diplomacy, but the 38-year-old finds that the work ticks similar boxes nonetheless.

"One of the reasons I wanted to be a diplomat was that you're between different countries and trying to solve basic needs. In terms of diplomacy, it's peace, but if you're talking energy, it's bringing light and heat," she says. "So one of the fascinating things about being in the energy business is that it's very core to the day-to-day lives of people, and it's very tangible."