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Chairman and CEO, American Express Company
Location New York, NY
Age 55
HLS J.D. 1976-77

A lawyer surrounded by MBAs, a gracious presence in a me-first world, Chenault is one of just a handful of black Fortune 500 CEOs. In the realm of the 11-digit market cap, though, the only color that really matters is green. Chenault rose through the AmEx credit-card division—crucial experience as the company refocused on core businesses in the post–“financial supermarket” era—to become president and COO in 1997. Took over the top job in 2001, just months before the World Trade Center attacks across the street from corporate headquarters; the new boss made AmEx one of the first firms to commit to returning to downtown Manhattan. In the wake of a 2004 Supreme Court ruling allowing AmEx to issue credit cards with banks previously tethered to Visa and MasterCard, Chenault is spearheading the effort to make his company even more of a household name.

However… Since the 2005 spin-off of the regulator- and lawsuit-plagued division that became Ameriprise Financial, the new company seems to have found its footing, and its soaring stock price may yet cause some seller’s remorse.

Google hits 17,400 for “Ken Chenault”; 2,210 for “member of Augusta National Golf Club”