Reggie Acloque ’99

Reginald “Reggie” Acloque began life in New York City, the youngest of four children born to Haitian parents who divided their time between the islands of Haiti and Manhattan. While Acloque spent most of his formative years in Port-au-Prince, he graduated from high school in New York before heading upstate to attend Syracuse University, where for the first time in his life he was exposed to the exciting potential of computer technology. “I became really passionate about the marriage between business and technology and how to bring the two together,” says Acloque, who earned a bachelor’s degree in information management and technology from the School of Information Studies. “It was a powerful learning experience for me to have so many opportunities to explore.”

After graduation, Acloque accepted a position with GE Power & Water in Atlanta, where he participated in its Information Technology Leadership Program. Upon completion of the program in 2001, he earned certification as an expert on improving software development lifecycle processes and implementing organizational change. Since then, Acloque has held manager, director, and CIO level positions, partnering with business units and functions across the entire supply chain, including sales, engineering, services, and fulfillment. Today, as part of GE’s industrial Internet initiatives, Acloque is the executive director of software operations for GE’s power-generation services business. “The software we develop helps energy producers deliver cost-effective reliable power through insights into asset performance, operations, and economics to make more effective decisions,” says Acloque, who earned an MBA degree with a concentration in entrepreneurship from Kennesaw State University in 2003. “As a result, they can lower production costs and improve power plant reliability.”

As part of a large global organization, Acloque must travel to wherever GE’s customers are located—around the country and abroad—to deploy his team’s industrial Internet software solutions. Every day he is on the road, however, is a day away from his wife, Demetria, and two young daughters, Elle and Emery. “When I’m home, I try to maximize my time with the kids so I can see them grow up,” he says. “When I’m traveling, I videoconference with them on FaceTime so they won’t forget who I am. It works great.”

A first-generation college graduate, Acloque says he owes much of his success to the help and encouragement he received from staff members at Syracuse University’s Office of Supportive Services, who offered him financial, academic, and emotional support day in and day out. That is one of the reasons he continues to be actively engaged with the University as a member of the SU Alumni Association Board of Directors and the Atlanta Regional Council, which presents professional development, networking, and educational programs designed to keep more than 2,800 Atlanta-area alumni connected to the University. “If it weren’t for the support I received from SU, I don’t know how I would have matured through four years of college,” he says. “I stay involved with the University because it’s always good to give back.” —Christine Yackel