Glenda McNeal is the first Black woman to join the Executive Committee at American Express.
According to Black Enterprise, over the years the President of Strategic Partnerships has lent her expertise across sales and client management, business development, and marketing and strategy at the financial corporation. Also, McNeal has overseen the relationships of Amex’s largest partners, including Delta, Marriott, Hilton, PayPal, and Amazon.
In her new seat, McNeal will help Amex face COVID-19 and other challenges of the global economy. Furthermore, the committee is now represented by seven women, a record number for the company, Patch reports.
“Having Glenda’s expertise and experience on the Executive Committee will be a huge asset for us,” Chairman and CEO Stephen J. Squeri said. “We will benefit from their diverse perspectives as we navigate through the challenges we face and position our company to win going forward.”
McNeal’s storied career spans three decades. She is a Dillard University graduate and received her MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. Also, she currently serves on the boards of Nordstrom, Inc., RLJ Lodging Trust, the World Travel & Tourism Council Ltd., and the United Negro College Fund, Black Enterprise reports.
“While not all my roles at Amex have had formal negotiating responsibilities in the job description, all of them have required building relationships and navigating difficult conversations,” McNeal told TIME in 2018. “I’ve had many mentors and sponsors along the way who believed in me, gave me a seat at the table and put their reputation on the line for me. I try to do the same for others now.”
