KENNETH CHENAULT, author of the memoir Equal to the Task: A Life Forged Between America’s Promise and Its Truth (HarperCollins Leadership), became one of the first African Americans to serve as chief executive officer of a Fortune 500 firm when he took on the role for the American Express Company, a position he held from 2001 to 2018. The son of a dentist and a dental hygienist, Chenault studied history at Bowdoin College and attended Harvard University Law School. Working at a law firm and a management consultancy followed, and he eventually accepted a job at American Express in 1981 and began rising through the ranks. By the time of his appointment as chief operating officer and president 16 years later, it was evident he’d likely be chosen as the company’s next CEO. After stepping down in 2018, Chenault became chair and managing director of the venture capital firm General Catalyst Partners.
