No. 13: American Express Co.
The DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity®
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DiversityInc Lists

Also:

  • No. 8 in The DiversityInc Top 10 Companies for Asian Americans
  • No. 10 in The DiversityInc Top 10 Companies for Executive Women
  • No. 10 in The DiversityInc Top 10 Companies for LGBT Employees
  • No. 9 in The DiversityInc Top 10 Companies for Global Diversity

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Why It’s in the DiversityInc Top 50
A long-time diversity leader, American Express is one of the few companies that has been on the DiversityInc Top 50 list every year since we started it in 2001. Now under the direction of Jennifer Christie, chief diversity officer and vice president of executive recruitment, the company has made significant strides in increasing workplace diversity on every level and in communicating the value of diversity globally.

The company has a strong executive diversity council, which meets quarterly and includes rotational positions for its employee-resource groups. Those groups, which American Express calls employee networks, are among the strongest anywhere in corporate America and have been a model for other organizations.

There are 14 networks and more than 70 chapters globally, which are used for recruitment, to give new employees “an immediate sense of community, reflective of our inclusive corporate culture,” the company states. Within the networks, there are mentoring programs, sponsorship initiatives, talent-development opportunities, and networking. The groups also are used for business outreach, such as the Felicidades and Lunar New Year gift cards that were created in partnership with AHORA (Hispanic Network) and ANA (Asian Network).

American Express also has world-class work/life benefits, including many flexible options for working in various locations.

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Diversity Leadership
Kenneth I. Chenault Chairman and CEO Kenneth I. Chenault
Chairman and CEO:

“Diversity is a business opportunity that we are pursuing with the same vigor as any other. One of my top growth priorities for this year is to expand our penetration of younger customers, women and minorities. To achieve this, we will not only look to fully leverage our business assets to expand, reach and grow our business, we will utilize our diverse talent pool to its maximum. By doing that we are fostering an environment of creativity, innovation and success.”
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Jennifer Christie Chief Diversity Officer and Vice President, Executive Recruitment Jennifer Christie
Chief Diversity Officer and Vice President, Executive Recruitment

 

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Company Information

Industry: Financial Services

Main Competitors: Visa, MasterCard

U.S. Headquarters: New York

Number of U.S. Employees: 26,989

THE 2011 DIVERSITYINC TOP 50 LIST