General Electric's Chief Executive Jeff Immelt may step down sooner than his expected 20-year tenure, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the company's thinking.
"We don't comment on speculation. The GE board routinely discusses succession planning, which is a key part of its responsibilities," a company spokesperson told CNBC.
Immelt, who has been at the helm of the industrial conglomerate since 2001, has led several board discussions about shortening the expected tenure for GE's next chief executive to between 10 and 15 years, the Journal said.