American Express Kicks Off 2009 American Express Nonprofit Leadership Academy

NEW YORK, April 28, 2009 — American Express (NYSE:AXP) today kicked off the second American Express Nonprofit Leadership Academy, its nation-wide program to develop the next generation of leaders in the nonprofit sector and has announced that it will be holding another Academy in the Fall. The Nonprofit Leadership Academy is a week-long training program created in partnership with the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL) that immerses participants in leadership training and development courses through sessions with American Express senior executives, including the company’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Kenneth I. Chenault. This week’s Leadership Academy will include guest speakers Reynold Levy, president of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts and Marie Wilson, founder and president of The White House Project.

Launched in 2008 to address the need created by a growing deficit of leadership talent in the nonprofit sector, the Leadership Academy brings together twenty-four emerging leaders from within community, environmental, international relief and cultural organizations. The Leadership Academy focuses on building the personal, business and leadership skills needed to run and lead a successful nonprofit organization. American Express executives participating in the Leadership Academy will conduct sessions about career development, business strategy, brand management and marketing.

“Following the success of our inaugural Leadership Academy in 2008, American Express is pleased to provide this important learning and development forum to a new group of dedicated, emerging leaders in the nonprofit sector,” said Timothy J. McClimon, president, American Express Foundation. “We are deeply encouraged by our Leadership Academy alumni who continue to link their academy experience to positive developments in key aspects of their jobs, and we look forward to inducting the new class.”

After a competitive application process, twenty-four emerging nonprofit leaders from across the country were selected for the 2009 Leadership Academy class. Each of the participants hold manager-level positions, is dedicated to a career in the nonprofit sector and has built strong momentum in their respective fields. To ensure the Nonprofit Leadership Academy has a lasting impact and to measure its effectiveness, participants will set goals and action plans during the training, and will have access to follow-up support from CCL in the form of online networking tools, coaching sessions, leadership goal checkpoints and a one-year review to complete their training.