Ken Chenault
Chairman and Managing Director, General Catalyst; former Chairman and CEO, American Express
Ken Chenault is Chairman and a Managing Director of the venture capital firm, General Catalyst. Previously, Ken was Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of American Express from 2001 to 2018. Upon Ken’s retirement from American Express, Warren Buffett, the company’s largest shareholder stated, “Ken's been the gold standard for corporate leadership and the benchmark that I measure others against.” At GC, Ken focuses on investing in fast-growing companies that have the potential to become large, fundamental institutions. He also provides invaluable guidance to portfolio companies, particularly to those with an eye towards global markets and responsible innovation. Ken has been honored by multiple publications including Fortune Magazine, which named him one of the World’s 50 Greatest Leaders in its inaugural list in 2014 and again in 2021. TIME celebrated Ken with Ken Frazier in the TIME100 Most Influential People of 2021 list for their corporate and social activism; specifically, for mobilizing hundreds of corporate leaders to advocate for equitable voting rights in the U.S., and for co-founding OneTen, a coalition of leading executives coming together to upskill, hire and advance one million Black Americans over the next 10 years into family-sustaining jobs. Ken serves on the boards of Airbnb, Berkshire Hathaway, Chief, Guild Education, and the Harvard Corporation. He also serves on the boards of numerous nonprofit organizations, including chairing the Smithsonian Institution’s Advisory Council for the National Museum of African American History and Culture.
