Jean Suzuki, Owner and Principal for JMS Group, is a seasoned HR leader with more than 20 years of experience in Corporate HR. She is known for her pragmatic, creative style and forges trusted partnerships at every level– while keeping business imperatives front and center during engagements.

With experience spanning multiple industries including media, financial services, real estate and manufacturing, Jean has a deep understanding of the daily challenges facing the C-suite and has the practical experience of coaching hundreds of leaders and teams.

Prior to launching JMS, Jean served as the Head of Talent for GE Transportation, with responsibility for executive talent development, succession planning, development of early-career leadership pipelines and D&I design and implementation. In addition, she successfully led the HR strategy for the divestiture of GE Transaction to Wabtec Corporation, which was completed in  February 2019.

She is a proven leader during crisis –  leading GE Capital businesses through the 2008-09 financial crisis, governmental oversight, and one of the largest Corporate restructurings in U.S. history – executing the divesture of ~200B of GE Capital in 2015. 

A former television reporter (!), she leverages her on-camera experience, communication skills and adaptability to engage with clients quickly to deliver tangible and meaningful results.

Jean is Six Sigma Green Belt certified, holds a BS in Broadcast Journalism and a Masters in HR and Labor Relations, both from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. 

She resides in Chicago, Illinois, with her husband and two daughters.