American Express 2006 Annual Report Download - page 29

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shelter to shelter, in the aftermath of Hurricane Wilma. And I could tell you many similar
stories of heroics in other locations around the world.
But it’s not just front-line employees who are focused on the company’s vision of
becoming the world’s most respected service brand. We have more than 65,000 employees
who are engaged in activities ultimately designed to improve the American Express
experience for all our customers by giving them more choices, benefi ts, rewards and
services. Nearly 70 percent of the senior-level managers who guide our employee teams
have been with the company for more than 10 years, giving us a depth of industry
experience that I consider to be another key strength. And we have a Board of Directors
that works to ensure sound governance of our business and helps us serve the interests of
our customers, employees and shareholders.
I want to thank all of our directors for their service to the company. In particular, I want
to recognize Peter Dolan, who stepped down as a director during 2006, for his fi ve years
of service, and to note two outstanding additions to our board
—
Richard C. Levin, presi dent
of Yale University, and Ronald A. Williams, chairman, chief executive offi cer and president
of Aetna Inc. I am pleased to welcome Richard and Ron, who joined in January.
All of us associated with American Express feel a deep responsibility for representing one
of the world’s most respected brands, and delivering on our promise to provide world-class
service and personal recognition to our customers.
merchant offers and experiences
American Express provides unique value to both our merchants and cardmembers. Through our
closed-loop network and marketing expertise, we are able to match the right offers and experiences
to the right customers at the right time. These targeted offers benefi t our cardmembers and build
business for merchants. [ 27 ]
letter to shareholders