Kris Urbauer From Military Officer/Engineer to GE Recruiter

Q:   Of all those experiences, which did you find most challenging, which most gratifying, and why?

Kris: Challenging? UN duty, since I was alone- traveled from Fort Bragg to Stuttgart, Germany and on to Zagreb, Croatia alone… even from Zagreb to Sarajevo I was alone. I did meet two Ukrainian officers getting onto the plane with me who helped me with my bags…we boarded a Soviet aircraft- that was surreal as I was a “cold war” era trained soldier! Then, we had to run off the plane to get behind the barriers as the Serbs were shooting at planes landing at the airport in Sarajevo. And they shelled the city every night.

Gratifying? Ground Zero…we all wanted to do something after 9/11, and I was given the opportunity to do so. And I fell in love with NYC during my year there.

   Q:   What brought you to General Electric, and what is the nature of your work now?

Kris: GE recognized my military experience and valued it. I also saw more opportunities to move around and experience a lot of different “businesses” within one company.

Now I am the Program Manager of Military Initiatives for GE. I have responsibility for military recruiting and our Junior Officer Leadership Program.

Q:   How have your military experiences, including West Point, impacted your life today, both professionally and personally?

         Kris: West Point taught me I can do anything I put my mind to. Remember, I graduated in 1986, and there had only been women there since the class of 1980. J   You just have to want it bad enough.

         Q:   What is/are your future career goal(s)?

         Kris:   At this point, I want to be allowed to continue to work with veterans’ programs at GE… hoping they see the value in this for years to come. I enjoy traveling to job fairs for veterans and also teaching transition workshops, helping vets understand how big companies “hire”- helping them get through the maze to get hired, or at least interviewed for roles at GE.

         Q: What’s your philosophy of life, and/or what advice might you give to our readers to help them enjoy life and its stresses?

         Kris:   “I can do anything for two minutes…”

                        And then you just repeat, and repeat.

                        Never quit.