London Calling
When American Express decided to take its corporate philosophy global, Ed Gilligan went along for the ride
When Ed Gilligan’s boss asked him to move to London four years ago, he answered with a resounding yes. Granted, it’s hard to say no when the boss in question is Kenneth Chenault, CEO of American Express. But even so, Gilligan’s transatlantic move made him a bit of a pioneer within the company; he became the first direct report to the CEO in American Express history to be based outside the United States. Bidding a reluctant goodbye to New York, the lifelong Yankees fan happily immersed himself in London’s diverse culture and culinary offerings. “I took on that challenge of how do we make our international businesses a bigger, faster-growing part of the company,” says Gilligan.
American in name, global in reach: that’s both the greatest hurdle facing the financial services giant, and its biggest opportunity. “The challenge,” Gilligan says, “is taking a global strategy — saying we want to be the card of choice for high-spending affluent consumers, small businesses, and corporations, and grow our merchant network — but being flexible and adapting to different market conditions around the world.” One way American Express has met that challenge is by building advertising strategies worldwide but executing them locally. For example, the “My life. My card.” campaign has become decidedly global in scope, but the celebrities it features are relevant to regional audiences: Ellen DeGeneres in the United States, actor Ken Watanabe in Japan, and soccer coach Jose Mourinho in Europe.
Another important aspect of American Express’ business is its merchant partnerships. In 2005, Gilligan took charge of efforts to sign up merchants to welcome the American Express Card outside the United States. One key element of his work is investing equally in value propositions for merchants and customers. “We want to make sure we’re not just a card to our key merchants — we’re marketing partners,” says Gilligan. Because of its strong relationships with high-spending cardholders, the company can develop marketing efforts to help a merchant build customer loyalty; that merchant’s participation in American Express programs then creates value for both AmEx and its cardholders.
The global view Gilligan espouses requires fierce vigilance in regions experiencing unprecedented growth as well as those returning from economic doldrums. “We always keep an eye on economic conditions. Somewhere in the world, a crisis has just happened or might happen,” he says. “But the vast majority of places we do business in are doing very well economically.”
Even so, these can be trying times to be American, for both individuals and corporations. “The view of the United States is changing and has changed in the past five years,” says Gilligan. Still, AmEx’s commitment to being a global company remains strong. The company created six-month assignments that it offers to key manager- and director-level employees, giving them the opportunity to move to different countries, learn about the local business, and dispense that knowledge in their home countries when they return. “We found that’s an incredible way to develop people, to give them a life experience they wouldn’t get anywhere else,” says Gilligan. All of which makes using an American Express card, accepting it, and working for the company itself a rewarding experience — anywhere in the world.
— Meg Mitchell Moore
(Executive Travels)
Ed’s Favorites
Business travel city: Buenos Aires
Type of restaurant when on the road: Anything Asian
Never leaves home without: My American Express cards — Centurion, Red,
and Corporate
To Serve and Protect
Senator John Cornyn stays busy keeping his focus on Texas
Senator John Cornyn of Texas admits that he entered politics “through the back door.” His wife’s best friend was married to an appointed district court judge, and when a vacancy opened for a state district judge seat in Bexar County, some Republican supporters urged Cornyn to run.
He ran, and he won. But that didn’t mean he felt ready.
“This is not something I planned to do, but when the opportunity was presented to me, I thought I shouldn’t let it pass me by,” says the 55-year-old legislator. “I was a practicing lawyer in San Antonio at the time, and we always moaned and groaned about the judges. It was time for me to put up or shut up, so I guess I put up. The idea of it kind of scared me to death. I thought judges were different from the rest of us mere mortals. I quickly found out that they’re not.”
Texans would agree. After 18 years in state politics, Cornyn was elected to the United States Senate in 2002. In his first term, Cornyn has quickly set out to embrace the issues affecting his 23 million constituents in Texas. He has assumed an active role in the Senate, becoming vice chairman of the Ethics Committee and also serving on the Armed Services, Budget, and Judiciary committees.
Cornyn’s father is a 31-year veteran of the Air Force, so the issues that concern military families remain close to the senator’s heart. “Texas defends America,” he points out, noting that one out of every 10 people in uniform calls Texas home.
“Because I come from a military family, this is personal for me,” Cornyn explains. “We have to lighten the burdens on the military and their families to keep our country safe and strong. I’ve visited with these families in Iraq and at home, and I’ve co-sponsored the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act for 2008, which ensures dignified treatment of the military. I hope to reduce the red tape and hassle factor that makes their lives more difficult. We owe them that, and I’m privileged to work on it.”
As a former judge, it’s not surprising that Senator Cornyn has also focused on crime and worked to reduce gang violence in Texas, including in his hometown of San Antonio. “The gang problem has gotten more complicated,” Cornyn says. “These days, it’s not just neighborhood gangs, we now have international gangs, like MS-13 from Central America, who are actively recruiting in Texas. I’ve tried to help on the Judiciary Committee to improve the tools available to local law enforcement, as well as increase education efforts for parents and teachers, to give them tools to deal with it.”
In a sense, Cornyn is working to make sure that his constituents are ready to deal with the problems facing them at a local level; just as he’s ready to continue tackling the issues from his seat in the U.S. Senate.
— Kathleen S. Carr
Teresa Reichlen and Ask la Cour as the Sugarplum Fairy and her Cavalier in New York City Ballet’s production of The Nutcracker.
’Tis the Season
The show must go on for
Sean Lavery
With the New York City Ballet staging its annual production of The Nutcracker through December 30 at Lincoln Center, you might well wonder what, if anything, is new this year. But, as generations of children and adults have come to know, the beauty of The Nutcracker is that it never changes. From the exuberance of the children’s party scene, to the snowstorm that engulfs the stage at the end of the first act, to the giant magical Christmas tree that grows to the ceiling, the production has the power to enchant children and adults alike year after year. “It’s a story about a Christmas party, and it opens at a Christmas party,” says Sean Lavery, the company’s assistant to the ballet master in chief. “To a lot of people, it means Christmas, and they always make it a part of their holiday season.”
Lavery has been involved with The Nutcracker for 41 years, both as a child dancer and now as a teacher and stager. Though he has danced many versions of Tchaikovsky’s magnificent score, the version choreographed by George Balanchine is Lavery’s favorite. In fact, he notes that Balanchine tried his hand at The Nutcracker more than once and that the New York City Ballet’s production was also the choreographer’s favorite.
In staging a production that runs annually for six weeks, one might think there is a danger of Nutcracker ennui settling into the cast. But constant changes keep the cast and crew fresh. “We have 10 different casts, and everyone loves dancing it — it puts you in a good mood.” Working with so many children also infuses the production with new energy and vitality each year and throughout the six-week run. Garielle Whittle, children’s ballet mistress for the New York City Ballet, starts working with children at the School of American Ballet in October to prepare for the production.
For Lavery, this production always has a little extra meaning. “I danced as the Sugar Plum Fairy Cavalier and I got to work with Balanchine,” he says. “To see my old part and get to teach it, and see new generations come up and dance it, it always has a special place in my heart.”
— Daintry Duffy
Continental is the official airline of Lincoln Center.
