American Express Global Leadership Summit Brings the Company’s Growth Plan to Life

For the first time in person since 2020, close to 600 American Express leaders from around the world gathered in New York for the company’s bi-annual Global Leadership Summit to discuss leadership, external trends, and how Amex is working to bring its growth plan to life.

“We never stopped focusing on our customers throughout the pandemic,” said Chairman and CEO Steve Squeri. “We can still grow more with our existing customers, and we’ve proven that we are very successful at attracting new ones.”

Squeri noted that Millennial and Gen Z customers represented 60% of new U.S. consumer cards acquired in 2022

Our investments in partnerships and services, such as travel perks and unique experiences, excite this base, as well as our growing digital footprint and =12ptposition as a global lifestyle brand.  

“We continue to find ways to add value to our portfolio,” said Howard Grosfield, President, U.S. Consumer Services. “Never underestimate the importance of making Membership meaningful.”

Our colleagues work every day to powerfully back our customers. This is reflected in our number-one rankings in customer satisfaction in both the 2022 J.D. Power U.S. Consumer Credit Card Study and U.S. Small Business Card Study. And in 2020, we started a program for customers to directly share compliments for our service colleagues: There are approximately 4,500 compliments every day.

“It’s amazing the impact this has on our front-line colleagues – the power of someone hearing they did a great job from a customer is what keeps the energy and passion in our organization,” said Denise Pickett, President, Global Services Group.

According to Raymond Joabar, President of Global Merchant and Network Services, “an important part of backing our customers is giving them the confidence that when they pull out their card, they can use it.”

[READ MORE: Spend with Amex: Card Acceptance More than Doubles Globally]

More merchants mean more places to spend, and this has been an important driver of volume growth, globally. The number of merchants accepting Amex has more than doubled since 2017 and the company is doubling down on its international roadmap.

Anna Marrs, Group President, Global Commercial Services and Credit & Fraud Risk added, “I think we are better positioned than we ever have been, because of our focus.”

Squeri said he is excited about our future.  He told leaders, "To make sure our brand continues to be relevant far into the future, you’ve got to care about the details and focus on what matters most – our customers, our colleagues, and our communities. It’s a three-year plan and we’re a third of the way there. We need to win the whole game, and I’m confident we’ll get there.”