For GE, Consummate Insider Gaymard Walks Alstom Minefield

The French General Electric Co. executive thrust into the forefront of the company’s contentious Alstom SA bid is a petite mother of nine with sterling government contacts and a published romantic novel entitled “S’il suffisait d’aimer,” or “If Love was Enough.”

Clara Gaymard, chief executive officer of GE France since 2006, is central to the industrial giant’s efforts to navigate France’s singular political and social landscape. Dressed in a flouncy salmon-colored frock and black leather jacket, Gaymard, 54, accompanied GE CEO Jeffrey Immelt to an April 28 meeting with French President Francois Hollande. She then helped Immelt write a follow-up letter to the president, laying out the company’s offer.