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Securities and Exchange Commission
Washington, D.C. 20549
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American Express Company
(Name of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter)
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SMITHKLINE BEECHAM CHIEF EXECUTIVE NOMINATED TO
AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY BOARD OF DIRECTORS
NEW YORK -- March 11, 1997 -- American Express Company announced today that
Jan Leschly, Chief Executive of SmithKline Beecham, has been nominated for
election to the American Express Board of Directors at the company's upcoming
Annual Shareholders Meeting.
Leschly has been Chief Executive of SmithKline Beecham, one of the
world's leading healthcare companies, since 1994. He joined SmithKline
Beecham as chairman of the pharmaceutical division in 1990, having previously
served as President and Chief Operating Officer of Squibb Corporation. Prior
to joining Squibb in 1979, he was with Novo Nordisk, a Danish pharmaceutical
company, where he served as Executive Vice President and President of the
pharmaceuticals division.
"Jan is an outstanding executive whose broad knowledge of international
markets and business judgment will make him a strong addition to our Board,"
said Harvey Golub, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of American Express
Company.
Leschly is highly regarded within the healthcare industry. In 1995, he
was named one of Business Week's top 25 managers and received the 1995
Pharmacy Practitioner of the Year Award from the International Pharmaceutical
Federation Foundation for Education and Research. He is active in a number of
professional healthcare organizations, including serving on the Board of the
Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America. Leschly was born in
Denmark and received his bachelor's degree in Pharmacy from Copenhagen
College and in business administration from the Copenhagen School of
Economics and Business Administration.
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Outside of the healthcare industry, Leschly has been well known in
professional tennis circles. He was ranked 10th in the world in 1965 and
played in 16 consecutive Wimbledon tournaments.
Last week, American Express announced that Ken Chenault, newly elected
President and Chief Operating Officer of the company, has also been nominated
to serve on the Board of Directors. Twelve current directors are standing
for re-election. They are Daniel F. Akerson; Anne L. Armstrong; Edwin L.
Artzt; William G. Bowen; Charles W. Duncan, Jr.; Beverly Sills Greenough; F.
Ross Johnson; Vernon E. Jordan, Jr.; Drew Lewis; Aldo Papone; Frank P.
Popoff; and Harvey Golub. David M. Culver, who has reached the Board's
mandatory retirement age of 72, is not standing for re-election.
The company's Annual Meeting of Shareholders is scheduled for April 28.
American Express Company is a global travel, financial and network
services provider founded in 1850. It is a leader in charge and credit
cards, Travelers Cheques, travel, financial planning, investment products,
insurance, accounting and international banking.
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