Kenneth Chenault was born on June 2, 1951, in Mineola, New York. He worked as an attorney before transitioning into business, joining American Express in 1981. Chenault was named CEO of American Express in 2001, becoming one of the first African Americans to hold this position in a Fortune 500 company.
Chenault attended the Waldorf School of Garden City, New York. He graduated from Bowdoin College with a degree in History in 1973. At Bowdoin, Chenault realized that he wanted to pursue a profession that would enable him to help other African Americans. He debated the merits of a corporate career with fellow African American students—there were 23 at Bowdoin at the time, as compared with the 950 white students—who warned of a lifestyle that might ultimately force him to abandon his convictions.
Chenault disagreed, believing it to be possible for an African American to succeed without selling out. During these often-heated discussions, Chenault displayed his aptitude for debate. Rasuli Lewis, a fellow Bowdoin student who remained a friend, told Ebony , “His style was to come in more the middle of the road, to say let’s consider both sides here, and to look at it from the point of fact rather than emotion” (July 1997).
After graduating from the Harvard Law School. Chenault began working at the law firm of Rogers & Wells in New York City. Chenault joined American Express in 1981. He took a position in the languishing merchandizing department, reviving it and leading his team to significant success. He launched lucrative corporate partnerships with companies including Delta Airlines.
In 1997, Chenault was named president and chief operating officer of American Express. He was named CEO in 2001—becoming one of the first African Americans to lead a Fortune 500 company. He is credited with guiding the company through the economic and personal devastation of the September 11 attacks in New York, just across the street from American Express headquarters.
In the hours and days that followed, Chenault made countless decisions that would ease the impact of the attacks on both cardholders and employees. To help the former, millions of dollars in late fees were forgiven, and credit limits were increased. In an effort to comfort the latter, Chenault invited his five thousand employees to New York’s Paramount Theater on September 20 for a somber meeting. At that meeting he admitted that his grief had been so strong that he had needed to see a counselor. He announced plans to donate $1 million of the company’s profits to the families of AMEX employees who had died on September 11.
In addition to his primary professional duties, Chenault has served on the boards of countless academic, professional and civic organizations. Among the causes to which he devotes his time are the National September 11 Memorial & Museum at the World Trade Center Foundation and the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. He has delivered commencement addresses at Howard University, Wake Forest University and Northeastern University.