Kenneth Irvine Chenault (born June 2, 1951) is Chairman of American Express and only the third black CEO of a Fortune 500 company.
He joined American Express in 1981, working in the Strategic Planning Group. He became president and chief operating officer in 1997. He became CEO of American Express in 2001.
While CEO of American Express in 2007, Chenault reportedly earned a total compensation of $50,126,585.
He is currently co-chair of the Business Roundtable, a director at IBM, and a member at the Council on Foreign Relations. He is a member of the Executive Committee of The Business Council for 2011 and 2012.
In 1995, Ebony listed him as one of 50 “living pioneers” in the African-American community. Chenault was inducted into the Junior Achievement U.S. Business Hall of Fame in 2002. In 2008, he gave the commencement address at Howard University.
Ken Chenault and American Express News
