Born: June 2, 1951, New York, New York.
Company: American Express
Position: Chairman and CEO
Industry: Financial Services
Country: United States
Kenneth I. Chenault is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, American Express Company (April 2001 to present), a $24 billion financial services company. He join the company in 1981, an has served in a variety of positions, including director of strategic planning in the Merchandise Services division and president of the Consumer Card division. He was the third African-American to become CEO of a Fortune 500 company and will be one of only four blacks left running Fortune 500 companies after Stan O'Neal's abrupt retirement from the top spot at Merrill Lynch & Co. and Time Warner Inc. Dick Parsons' announcement November 5, 2007, that he will retire at the end of the year.
Chenault was ranked #67 on Forbes Magazine's 2005 CEO Compensation List, earning $18.3 million.
Mr. Chenault is a director at IBM Corporation and the National Academy Foundation. He also serves as a trustee at Mount Sinai NYU Medical Center and Health System. Member, the World Trade Center Memorial Foundation.
