Chief Marketing Officer Elizabeth Rutledge to Retire

The following is a memo from Howard M. Grosfield, Group President, U.S. Consumer Services, that was shared October 15, 2026, with all American Express colleagues:

I am writing to share that Elizabeth Rutledge, our Chief Marketing Officer, has decided to retire from American Express in March 2027, after an extraordinary career spanning over three decades. Elizabeth will work closely with me and the Global Advertising and Brand Management (GABM) leadership team to ensure a smooth transition. We expect to announce her successor in the coming weeks.

Elizabeth has made an enduring impact on American Express. Our brand is one of our greatest strengths, and her deep understanding of our customers, our partners and our business, combined with her passion for this work, has helped extend its reach and connect it more closely to the value we deliver every day.

Since joining the company in 1990, Elizabeth has held leadership roles across Merchant marketing, Consumer Card products and benefits, and Membership Rewards. Her broad operating experience served her very well as she took on the leadership of our GABM team in 2016, and she was named Chief Marketing Officer in 2018.

As our CMO, Elizabeth has modernized our brand and broadened its relevance to new generations of Card Members, while staying true to what makes American Express special. Under her leadership, we launched our Powerful Backing campaign and refreshed our Blue Box identity, bringing our brand promise to life for consumers and businesses around the world. Through this work, she reinforced what has always been at the heart of American Express: we will have our customers' backs as they live life and do business.

Elizabeth transformed how we develop and deliver creative work by strengthening OnBrand, our in-house creative agency. By bringing more creative capabilities inside the enterprise and connecting them closely with our brand strategy and business priorities, she enabled teams across the company to develop more integrated marketing and bring ideas to market more effectively.

Elizabeth and her team have also expanded the sponsorships and experiences that are central to our Membership Model. Across dining, sports, music and entertainment, they have strengthened longstanding partnerships and built important new ones, including Formula 1, the NBA and our recently launched NFL sponsorship, giving our Card Members more ways to experience the value of Membership.

An equally passionate steward of Small Business Saturday and Shop Small, Elizabeth spearheaded programs to help back small businesses through some of their most challenging moments, including the COVID-19 pandemic and in the aftermath of natural disasters.

Just as important is Elizabeth's investment in people. Many colleagues across American Express have benefited from her mentorship, generosity and belief in their potential. She has built an exceptional team that is well positioned to carry this work forward.

On a personal level, I have had the privilege of working with Elizabeth for more than 20 years. She is a trusted colleague and close friend, and I have tremendous admiration for her judgment, creativity, integrity and unwavering commitment to American Express. I will miss her partnership and counsel, and I am grateful for all she has done for our company and for the many colleagues whose careers she has helped shape.

There will be several opportunities to celebrate Elizabeth before she retires. For now, please join me in thanking her for her remarkable leadership and lasting contributions to our company, our customers and our colleagues, and wishing her the absolute best in this next chapter.