Ken Chenault came into American Express following an historically hugely stormy period of forceful egos and clashing giants: H. Clarke; Raleigh Warner; James Robinson; Edmond J. Safra, Sanford Weill; Lou Gerstner; Peter Cohen; and Harvey Golub.
No major company in U.S. history has endured as much drama from so many mammoth players of the same generation in the same two decades. The only thing they all agreed upon was the strategic brilliance of former consultant Ken Chenault.
He came in below the radar line as a peacemaker and problem solver. And the problems were enormous. The financial supermarket of Lehman/Shearson American Express stumbled; Visa and MasterCard were bank cards from Bank of America and Citibank that were stealing away consumers. Retailers and restaurateurs revolted rejecting the punishing fee structure and new nations were fighting over the proprietary control of cross border flows of financial data.
Ken led the charge on all these fronts—winning back customers, retailers, and global governments. No one could have done all this better.
From the disruptive technological and consumer market revolutions that converged on the world of finance in the 1980s and 1990s, to the horrors of the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center adjacent to American Express’s headquarters, to the turmoil and its consequences over the past decade, and the global financial crisis of this current decade, Ken Chenault has been both a stabilizing pillar of wisdom and an inspiring leader with compelling vision for the future.
He is revered for his Socratic leadership model—encouraging constructive debate and candor, avoiding grandiosity, and transcending ideological barriers. As a leader who embraces change, Ken is referred to by many CEOs as a model for sorting through and refining regulatory changes, identifying new consumer interests, entering emerging markets, and embracing new technologies. Chenault also produced total shareholder returns of 129% towering over the Dow Jones Financials and the S&P 500.
It is true that in recent years, continued competition, especially now from new crypto-currencies, global competitors such as the far larger China Union Pays (with 4.5 BILLION – yes BILLION cards), the loss of a key account—Costco—and the tragic death of the initial intended heir apparent were significant setbacks—but Ken never lost his cool sense of direction and navigated rebounds from all such challenges. Through all of this, he has been an inspiring model of the American Dream and one of only three African American CEOs of a Fortune 100 firm. He is one of a kind, and he’ll be missed.
0
1:00 - 5:00 pm
Over 70% of Executives Surveyed Agree: Many Strategic Planning Efforts Lack Systematic Approach Tips for Enhancing Your Strategic Planning Process
Executives expressed frustration with their current strategic planning process. Issues include:
Steve Rutan and Denise Harrison have put together an afternoon workshop that will provide the tools you need to address these concerns. They have worked with hundreds of executives to develop a systematic approach that will enable your team to make better decisions during strategic planning. Steve and Denise will walk you through exercises for prioritizing your lists and steps that will reset and reinvigorate your process. This will be a hands-on workshop that will enable you to think about your business as you use the tools that are being presented. If you are ready for a Strategic Planning tune-up, select this workshop in your registration form. The additional fee of $695 will be added to your total.
2:00 - 5:00 pm
Female leaders face the same issues all leaders do, but they often face additional challenges too. In this peer session, we will facilitate a discussion of best practices and how to overcome common barriers to help women leaders be more effective within and outside their organizations.
Limited space available.
10:30 - 5:00 pm
General’s Retreat at Hermitage Golf Course
Sponsored by UBS
General’s Retreat, built in 1986 with architect Gary Roger Baird, has been voted the “Best Golf Course in Nashville” and is a “must play” when visiting the Nashville, Tennessee area. With the beautiful setting along the Cumberland River, golfers of all capabilities will thoroughly enjoy the golf, scenery and hospitality.
The golf outing fee includes transportation to and from the hotel, greens/cart fees, use of practice facilities, and boxed lunch. The bus will leave the hotel at 10:30 am for a noon shotgun start and return to the hotel after the cocktail reception following the completion of the round.
