Ken Chenault, the outgoing CEO of American Express, is quickly building a platform in the startup world.
Chenault announced plans to leave his position as the head of Amex last October, ending a 17-year run, and this month he’s bagged a trio of top positions within the tech/startup world. Facebook appointed him to its board on January 18, last week Airbnb said he’s joining its board, and on Monday he was announced as chairman and a managing director of General Catalyst.
“Without a doubt, he is one of the most accomplished, respected, and well-liked CEOs in the Fortune 100,” the firm said in a statement. “We are honored that Ken is joining GC and look forward to putting his considerable expertise to immediate work.”
Chenault is the first black person to serve on Facebook’s board of directors. His appointment will bring diversity to the world of venture capital, too. A 2016 report issued by Social Capital found that just one percent of senior VCs involved in investment decisions were black.
Beyond his roles at Facebook, Airbnb and GC, Chenault serves on the boards of IBM, Procter & Gamble, the Harvard Corporation among others.