 "Ken Chenault, American Express")
Kenneth I Chenault, one of the longest-serving executives in finance and one of corporate America’s few blacktop leaders, will retire next year as the chairman and chief executive of American Express.
Under Chenault’s leadership, American Express expanded beyond its core market of corporate customers and wealthy cardholders to serve a broader clientele. The co-branding deals he sought out with airlines and large retailers helped the company become the credit card issuer with the highest customer spending in the United States.
But the company’s successes inspired envy — and copy-catting — from rivals. That competition picked off some of American Express’s
