Yibrah Tesfazghi – A Tale Of Resilience, Integrity And Success

This article was drafted by Susannah Oluwaseun

How does someone transform regional revenue from $150M to a staggering $3.8B? While I may not hold the secret, Yibrah Tesfazghi certainly does. At General Electric, he accomplished this feat, turning Africa into one of the company’s most dynamic growth engines. The corporate world is not for the faint of heart, especially for Black professionals. That is why, when the opportunity arose to speak with Yibrah Tesfazghi, I knew I had to take it and better understand the drivers of his success.

The Foundation

It is an understatement to say that Yibrah started from humble beginnings: he was born in a village in Eritrea in the 1950s. With limited access to education in his village and the surrounding area, he moved to Eritrea’s capital, Asmara, to continue his education. When I spoke to Yibrah, it was evident that he is a principle-led individual, and that his upbringing played a strong role in this. Eritrea was still under Ethiopian rule when Yibrah grew up. He witnessed the harsh realities of searches, arrests, and intimidation, and saw firsthand the stark contrasts between wealth and poverty. In Yibrah’s own words, “Each obstacle strengthened my resilience and taught me the value of perseverance, integrity, self-esteem, self-belief, self-confidence, and adaptability; principles that continued to guide me throughout my career at General Electric.”’

The Opportunity

Yibrah’s career didn’t start with the excitement and impact which defined his years at General Electric. Rather, he worked at a reputable French bank, where his job consisted of routine, mundane tasks. Career progression was a myth, with only certain nationalities benefiting from career advancement. Yearning for purpose, he leapt at the chance to join GE’s new PP7 power project in Riyadh, thanks to a tip from a friend. This decision would ignite a remarkable journey within one of the world’s largest organisations.

The Resilience

I am filled with admiration, and possibly a touch of disbelief, when I come across individuals like Yibrah. Yibrah spent over 38 years at GE (a tenure I can hardly fathom in my current role). When I asked what kept him there, he credited his foundational principles of courage, patience and discipline. In his own words, “giving up was never part of his mindset”; doing so would only validate the doubters.

Perhaps this explains why, even without what Yibrah calls a “perfect match in mentorship,” he built a powerful network and mastered his environment. As the first Black African in a senior leadership role at GE, he refused to be discouraged. He soon discovered that the unspoken codes of corporate life were just as crucial as performance. By listening closely and observing the culture, he paired his technical expertise with effective communication and an ability to navigate people.

Yibrah’s tenure at GE is not synonymous with a lack of challenges. He encountered judgment and the persistent belief that Black leaders were less capable than others. Even with Yibrah's consistent results, invisible barriers remained, such as exclusion from informal decision-making circles. Yet for Yibrah, resilience was second nature and quitting was never an option. He set out to shatter these hidden assumptions, proving that glass ceilings could be shattered.

The leadership

As a leader, Yibrah’s principles never wavered.  His leadership was anchored in empathy. Yibrah beautifully described kindness as “a language that the deaf can hear and the blind can see”. His leadership was defined by a strong character, uncompromising integrity and an understanding of how bias and prejudice may affect individuals.

Yibrah led with inclusion at the forefront. He saw the unique strengths African professionals brought to navigating the continent’s complexities and opportunities. He made it his mission to find high-calibre African talent and ensure they had a seat at the decision-making table. His guiding principle for his team was simple: “Never compromise on integrity.”

Under his leadership, contracts with agencies and representatives that acted as channels for corruption were terminated. His unwavering integrity paid off: GE could bid lower than competitors, unburdened by inflated costs driven by corruption. This stance came with real danger, requiring Yibrah and his team to travel with bodyguards. His team delivered strong results and made the Africa region one of the fastest-growing in GE’s history. GE took note and awarded Yibrah its highest recognition: the Chairman’s Growth Heroes Award.

The Dream Team

A standout chapter in Yibrah’s journey is the “Dream Team”: a group of Black professionals he recruited to work alongside him who achieved outstanding results at GE. There are Black professionals who, when confronted with the challenging realities of corporate life, focus on self and survival at the expense of their community. Yibrah’s approach could not be further from this. While having first-hand experiences of the challenges of corporate life, his antidote is different: ridding ourselves of neocolonialist mindsets and creating a strong community where Africans can support and guide each other.

Eventually, the Dream Team was dissolved as Africa was reorganised into separate regions under what was presented as a “new strategy aimed at accelerating the continent’s phenomenal growth.” Unwilling to support the fragmentation of Africa, Yibrah declined to join the new regional structure and instead returned to his previous role within GE. In a powerful demonstration of shared conviction, the members of the GE African Dream Team followed Yibrah’s lead and resigned alongside him.

Leadership of GE Africa was handed to a U.S. expatriate, but the Dream Team's exceptional performance proved impossible to replicate. After two years of disappointing results, GE backtracked, reuniting most of its African operations while North Africa stayed linked to the Middle East. Even then, the company struggled to regain the growth and momentum achieved under the original African-led team, a testament to the enduring value of local leadership, continuity, and regional cohesion.

The Way Forward

Yibrah’s wisdom and experience are far too vast for a single article. His book, “Glass Ceilings and Hidden Walls,” serves as a much-needed guide for Black professionals seeking to overcome obstacles, stay resilient, and achieve excellence. In a time of rising xenophobia and waning DEI efforts, he urges Black professionals to stay committed to their craft, remain adaptable, and recognise the wealth of opportunities and talent across the continent.