Kenneth Chenault

Ken Chenault is the Chairman and a Managing Director of General Catalyst. Prior to joining General Catalyst, Ken was Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of American Express, a position he held from 2001-2018. Upon Ken’s retirement from American Express, Warren Buffett, the company’s largest shareholder, stated, “Ken’s been the gold standard for corporate leadership and the benchmark that I measure others against.”

At General Catalyst, Ken focuses on investing in fast-growing companies that have the potential to become large, fundamental institutions. He also provides invaluable guidance to portfolio companies, particularly to those with an eye towards global markets and responsible innovation, as they scale their teams and products.

Ken is recognized as one of the business world’s experts on brands and brand management. He has been honored by multiple publications including Fortune Magazine, which named him as one of the World’s 50 Greatest Leaders in its inaugural list in 2014 and, most recently, in 2021. TIME celebrated Ken, together with Ken Frazier, in the TIME100 Most Influential People of 2021 list for their corporate and social activism; specifically, for mobilizing hundreds of corporate leaders to advocate for equitable voting rights in the U.S., and for co-founding SkillsRight (formerly OneTen), a nonprofit organization of leading companies and CEOs committed to unlocking career opportunities for talent without four-year degrees.

Ken serves on the boards of Airbnb, Berkshire Hathaway, Bilt Rewards, Campus, Chief, Guild Education, and formerly served on the Harvard Corporation. He also serves on the boards of numerous nonprofit organizations, including the Smithsonian Institution’s Advisory Council for the National Museum of African American History and Culture.