8-K

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): January 29, 2020

AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

New York	1-7657	13-4922250
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation)	(Commission File Number)	(IRS Employer Identification No.)

200 Vesey Street,

New York, New York 10285

(Address of principal executive offices and zip code)

(212) 640-2000

(Registrant's telephone number, including area code)

Not Applicable

(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):

☐	Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)
☐	Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)
☐	Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))
☐	Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Title of each class	Trading Symbol(s)	Name of each exchange on which registered
Common Shares (par value $0.20 per Share)	AXP	New York Stock Exchange

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).

Emerging growth company ☐

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

Item 5.02 Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers

(d)  The Board of Directors of American Express Company (the “Company”) elected Karen Parkhill as a director of the Company, effective January 29, 2020. Ms. Parkhill will serve as a member of the Board’s Audit and Compliance Committee. Ms. Parkhill will participate in the compensation program for non-employee directors as described under the heading “Compensation of Directors” in the Company’s definitive proxy statement on Scheduled 14A, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 15, 2019. A copy of the press release announcing the election of Ms. Parkhill is attached as Exhibit 99.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K.

Ms. Parkhill and members of her immediate family are directors, employees and/or have equity interests in companies with whom the Company had entered into ordinary course business relationships prior to her election as a director of the Company and with whom the Company may enter into additional ordinary course relationships from time to time. These may include ordinary course merchant relationships pursuant to which these companies accept the Company’s credit and charge cards and pay the Company fees when their customers use these cards. From time to time, the Company may enter into joint marketing or other relationships with one or more of these companies in the ordinary course that encourage their customers to apply for and use the Company’s products and services. The Company may also provide ordinary course Corporate Card, travel and other payment and financing products and services, including extensions of credit, on terms and conditions similar to those available to other customers generally to some of these companies for which these companies pay fees to the Company. The Company may also engage in other commercial transactions with these companies and pay or receive fees in those transactions.

Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits

(d) Exhibits

Exhibit	Description
99.1	Press Release of American Express Company, dated January 29, 2020, announcing the election of Karen Parkhill to the Company’s Board of Directors.
104	The cover page of this Current Report on Form 8-K, formatted as inline XBRL.

-2-

SIGNATURE

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY
(REGISTRANT)
By:	/s/ Tangela S. Richter
	Name:  Tangela S. Richter
	Title:    Corporate Secretary

Date: January 29, 2020

EX-99.1

EXHIBIT 99.1

NEWS RELEASE NEWS RELEASE NEWS RELEASE NEWS RELEASE

Contact:

Marina H. Norville

212-640-2832

marina.h.norville@aexp.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

AMERICAN EXPRESS ELECTS KAREN PARKHILL TO ITS BOARD OF DIRECTORS

NEW YORK, January 29, 2020 – American Express Company (NYSE: AXP) today announced that Karen Parkhill, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Medtronic, has been elected to its board of directors, effective January 29, 2020. Ms. Parkhill will serve as a member of the Board’s Audit and Compliance Committee.

“Karen has deep financial and operational leadership experience at global large-cap companies, with a strong track record of driving profitable business growth and delivering operational efficiencies,” said Stephen J. Squeri, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “She is a well-recognized leader in the financial services sector, and an advocate for diversity and talent development. Karen will be a highly valuable addition to our Board, and I look forward to working with her and benefitting from her financial expertise and fresh perspectives.”

In her current role as CFO of Medtronic, Ms. Parkhill serves on the company's Executive Committee and is responsible for leading the Medtronic global finance organization and key supporting functions, including Treasury, Controller, Tax, Internal Audit, Investor Relations, Corporate Strategy, and Business Development. In addition to her leadership role in finance, Ms. Parkhill serves as the Executive Sponsor of the Medtronic PRIDE Employee Resource Group and Women’s Network “Commit to Connect” leadership program, which supports senior women leadership development at Medtronic.

Ms. Parkhill joined Medtronic from Comerica Incorporated in June 2016 where she was Vice Chairman and Chief Financial Officer. She was a member of Comerica's Management Executive Committee and the Comerica Bank Board of Directors. As Chief Financial Officer at Comerica, Ms. Parkhill had direct management of Finance, overseeing Accounting, Business Finance, Corporate Planning and Development, Investor Relations, Treasury as well as Economics, with responsibility for all financial reporting. She previously had administrative responsibilities for Comerica's Service Company, Corporate Compliance and Financial Intelligence.

-1-

Prior to Comerica, Ms. Parkhill was at JPMorgan Chase and Co., where she served as Chief Financial Officer for the Commercial Banking business from 2007 to 2011. She joined JPMorgan in 1992 in the Investment Bank and held various positions of increasing scope and responsibility, from an Associate in the Mergers and Acquisitions Group to a Managing Director in the Investment Banking Coverage Group.

Ms. Parkhill previously served as a member of the International Women’s Forum, as a National Trustee for the Boys and Girls Club of America, the Board of Directors of Methodist Health System, and the Executive Board for Southern Methodist University Cox School of Business. She was named among American Banker’s “The 25 Most Powerful Women in Banking” in 2015, and “The 25 Women to Watch” in 2011 and 2013.

Ms. Parkhill earned bachelor's degrees in business administration and mathematics from Southern Methodist University in Dallas and an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. She is a 2012 recipient of the SMU Cox School of Business Distinguished Alumni Award and a 2008 recipient of the University of Chicago Booth School of Business Distinguished Young Alumna Award.

###

About American Express

American Express is a globally integrated payments company, providing customers with access to products, insights and experiences that enrich lives and build business success. Learn more at americanexpress.com and connect with us on facebook.com/americanexpress, instagram.com/americanexpress, linkedin.com/company/american-express, twitter.com/americanexpress, and youtube.com/americanexpress.

Key links to products, services and corporate responsibility information: charge and credit cards, business credit cards, travel services, gift cards, prepaid cards, merchant services, Accertify, InAuth, corporate card, business travel, and corporate responsibility.

-2-

XML

Document and Entity Information	Jan. 29, 2020
Cover page.
Document Type	8-K
Document Period End Date	Jan. 29, 2020
Entity Registrant Name	AMERICAN EXPRESS CO
Entity Central Index Key	0000004962
Amendment Flag	false
Entity Incorporation, State or Country Code	NY
Entity File Number	1-7657
Entity Tax Identification Number	13-4922250
Entity Address, Address Line One	200 Vesey Street
Entity Address, City or Town	New York
Entity Address, State or Province	NY
Entity Address, Postal Zip Code	10285
City Area Code	212
Local Phone Number	640-2000
Written Communications	false
Soliciting Material	false
Pre-commencement Tender Offer	false
Pre-commencement Issuer Tender Offer	false
Title of 12(b) Security	Common Shares (par value $0.20 per Share)
Trading Symbol	AXP
Security Exchange Name	NYSE
Entity Emerging Growth Company	false