Kenneth Chenault
| Kenneth Chenault | |
|---|---|
 Kenneth Chenault and his wife arrive at President Obama's second State Dinner. |
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| Born | Kenneth Irvine Chenault. June 2, 1951 Long Island, New York, USA |
| Nationality |  American |
| Alma mater | Bowdoin College Harvard Law School |
| Occupation | Business Executive Chairman & CEO of American Express (2001-) |
| Predecessor | Harvey Golub |
| Spouse | Kathryn Chenault |
Kenneth Irvine Chenault (born June 2, 1951, French pronunciation: [ʃeno]) is an American business executive. He has been the CEO and Chairman of American Express since 2001.[1][2] He is the third African-American CEO of a Fortune 500 company.
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[edit] Early life, education, and legal career
Chenault grew up on Long Island, New York as the son of a dentist and dental hygienist.[3] He attended the alternative Waldorf School of Garden City,[4] where he served as senior class president.[3] He then received B.A. in history from Bowdoin College in 1973, and juris doctor from Harvard Law School in 1976.[5]
After Harvard, he worked as an associate at the law firm Rogers & Wells in New York City, and as a consultant for Bain & Company.[5]
[edit] CEO of American Express
He joined American Express in 1981, working in the Strategic Planning Group.[6] He became president and chief operating officer in 1997.[6] He became CEO of American Express in 2001.
While CEO of American Express in 2007, Chenault earned a total compensation of $50,126,585,[7] and in 2008, he earned a total compensation of $42,752,461.[8] In 2009, he earned a total compensation of $16,617,639, which included a base salary of $1,201,923, a cash bonus of $10,450,000, an option grant of $3,985,637, and other compensation worth $980,079.[9]
He is currently co-chair of the Business Roundtable,[10] a director at IBM,[2][6] and a member at the Council on Foreign Relations.[11] In 1995, Ebony listed him as one of 50 "living pioneers" in the African-American community.[12] 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.[13]
In May 2010, he gave the commencement speech at Wake Forest University[14] and Northeastern University.[15]
On Monday, November 15, 2010, Old North Foundation recognized Chenault with its Third Lantern Award for individual commitment and dedication to public service. The Foundation honored Chenault and American Express for their significant contributions to the preservation efforts of many significant monuments and landmark structures, including the steeple of the Old North Church. Chenault joins a long list of prestigious Third Lantern Award recipients, including President Clinton, U.S. Sen. Edward Kennedy, Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino, former Boston Mayor Kevin H. White and Boston Red Sox CEO Larry Lucchino.
Chenault resides in New Rochelle, New York with his wife and children.[16]
[edit] References
- ^ "Board of Directors and Executive Officers". American Express. http://ir.americanexpress.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=64467&p=irol-govManage. Retrieved 2007-05-11.
- ^ a b "Kenneth I Chenault profile". Forbes. http://www.forbes.com/finance/mktguideapps/personinfo/FromPersonIdPersonTearsheet.jhtml?passedPersonId=935397. Retrieved 2007-05-11.
- ^ a b http://www.biography.com/search/article.do?id=37719
- ^ "Ken Chenault: The Rise of a Star" Business Week Dec. 21, 1998
- ^ a b "Kenneth Chenault: Corporate CEO". CNN. February 2002. Archived from the original on 2007-02-19. http://web.archive.org/web/20070219185523/http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2002/black.history/stories/08.chenault/. Retrieved 2007-05-11.
- ^ a b c Bianco, Anthony (December 21, 1998). "KEN CHENAULT: THE RISE OF A STAR". Business Week. http://www.businessweek.com/1998/51/b3609001.htm. Retrieved 2007-05-11.
- ^ 2007 CEO Compensation for Kenneth I. Chenault, Equilar
- ^ 2008 CEO Compensation for Kenneth I. Chenault, Equilar
- ^ 2009 CEO Compensation for Kenneth I. Chenault, Equilar
- ^ "About us: Officers". Business Roundtable. Archived from the original on 2007-02-02. http://web.archive.org/web/20070202203003/http://www.businessroundtable.org/aboutUs/officers.aspx. Retrieved 2007-05-11.
- ^ See for example the transcript of a luncheon over which he presided: "New Realities in the Media Age: A Conversation with Donald Rumsfeld". Council on Foreign Relations. February 17, 2006. http://www.cfr.org/publication/9900/new_realities_in_the_media_age.html. Retrieved 2007-05-11.
- ^ "50 who changed America - influential African Americans". Ebony. November 1995. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1077/is_n1_v51/ai_17531062. Retrieved 2007-05-11.
- ^ Commencement Speech at Howard University
- ^ American Express CEO to deliver address, Window on Wake Forest, March 22, 2010. Accessed 2010-03-22.
- ^ May commencement speakers announced, Northeastern University, March 22, 2010. Accessed 2010-03-23.
- ^ Westchester Magazine
| Business positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Harvey Golub |
CEO of American Express 2001–present |
Succeeded by incumbent |
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