MEET THE ENTERPRISE STRATEGY TEAM
As the internal strategy team at American Express, we work on challenging and complex global enterprise projects that determine the company’s strategic direction.
A word from our Chief Strategy Officer, Alex Drummond, on the Enterprise Strategy team’s mission
“In Enterprise Strategy, we have a dual mandate: develop impactful strategic recommendations that shape the future of American Express, and to attract and nurture top talent to become future leaders of our company and industry. To do this, we bring an unbiased, external perspective to our recommendations, rooting them in practical reality to deliver the greatest impact. We foster a culture of collaboration, coaching, and mentorship, to develop talent and successfully set colleagues up for future roles in the business."
What We Do
We’re in charge of solving tough problems and creating actionable solutions for the CEO, Executive Team, and key business leaders at American Express. We develop the mid- and long-term, enterprise-wide strategies that influence the future of the entire company.
How We Do It
With a global presence in New York and London, our team fosters strategic dialogue across the different business units and functions at American Express. Using a rigorous and structured approach to solving problems, we develop solutions that create value and back our customers.
What Enterprise Strategy Team Members Are Saying
ANALYST | LONDON, UK
Maaz K.
“What I've enjoyed most is the ability to take advantage of an inclusive learning environment that brings together colleagues with a diverse range of backgrounds and experiences who support each other. In addition, leadership places a strong emphasis on internal and external skills trainings as well as learning resources, so we're equipped to excel on the challenges we face."
DIRECTOR | NEW YORK, NY
Umair S.
“I love this team and the work we do – we get to drive thinking around solving some of the most complex and intellectually stimulating problems for senior leaders at the preeminent
payments company and we get to do that while having fun and being our authentic selves. What’s not to love?”
SENIOR MANAGER | LONDON, UK
Thomas R.
“I’ve been very impressed with the relationship the Enterprise Strategy team has developed over time with the most senior leaders in the business, a testament to the high-impact work and results we are able to drive. This means we are continuously in high demand! Outside of project work, the team has a fantastic culture centred around mentorship, continuous knowledge sharing and team building activities.”
SENIOR MANAGER | NEW YORK, NY
Katie S.
“I love that Enterprise Strategy allows me so much opportunity to grow both as a professional and an individual. Not only do I get to work on questions that are high-impact, challenging, and relevant, but I get to do it alongside talented colleagues who inspire me to be my best every day. The caliber of both our team's work and our people never ceases to amaze me!”
LEARN ABOUT ENTERPRISE STRATEGY CAREERS
A Meaningful Career.
A Unique Journey.
As an American Express colleague, you'll embark on a fulfilling path of supportive professional relationships, constant growth, and leadership development.
What You Can Expect on the Job
Iconic brand & leader in dynamic industry
Work for one of the premier companies in the fast-moving payments industry with equity in other verticals, including travel and entertainment
Career & development focus
Build your strategy consulting
toolkit, professional, and leadership skills through formal trainings,
mentorship, and coaching. The team serves as a career launchpad for future
roles in the business.
High impact work and C-suite exposure
With C-suite sponsorship and partnership, you'll tackle only the most impactful and complex challenges facing the company in order to drive long-term enterprise growth
Balanced lifestyle
Hybrid work model with 2-3
days per week in-office, predictable schedules, and minimal travel will let you enjoy a balanced lifestyle so you can enjoy your time both at work and outside of it
Collaboration, flexible, and fun culture
Work on a close-knit team with the
best and brightest colleagues who value diverse perspectives,
relationship-building, and cultivating a supportive environment
Your Everyday Projects
No two days on the Enterprise Strategy team are the same. You’ll collaborate with teammates and business stakeholders on major projects that produce meaningful insights and actionable recommendations for American Express, from broad, enterprise-wide endeavors to narrower, business-specific opportunities. Our project-based engagement model means that, every few months, you’ll have the opportunity to tackle new problems, partner with new stakeholders, and develop new areas of subject-matter expertise.
Across projects, you’ll engage in:
- Scoping and problem structuring
- Conducting complex analysis and rigorous research
- Developing actionable solutions
- Providing thought partnership and presenting your recommendations to American Express leaders at the highest levels
Along the way, you’ll build a deep expertise in our industry and our business while influencing the long-term strategy of American Express.
Sample projects:
On the Enterprise Strategy team, you will tackle exciting and challenging projects spanning a range of topics. Examples of projects the team has worked on include:
- Evaluate and recommend new financial services market entry opportunities
- Size American Express' share of e-commerce spend and recommend growth strategies
- Develop the long-term mobile app strategy to drive customer engagement
- Evaluate the emergence of digital currencies and the role American Express should play in the space
- Explore the metaverse to inform how American Express should position itself in this digital world
Your Everyday Projects
No two days on the Enterprise Strategy team are the same. You’ll collaborate with teammates and business stakeholders on major projects that produce meaningful insights and actionable recommendations for American Express, from broad, enterprise-wide endeavors to narrower, business-specific opportunities. Our project-based engagement model means that, every few months, you’ll have the opportunity to tackle new problems, partner with new stakeholders, and develop new areas of subject-matter expertise.
Across projects, you’ll engage in:
- Scoping and problem structuring
- Conducting complex analysis and rigorous research
- Developing actionable solutions
- Providing thought partnership and presenting your recommendations to American Express leaders at the highest levels
Along the way, you’ll build a deep expertise in our industry and our business while influencing the long-term strategy of American Express.
Sample projects:
On the Enterprise Strategy team, you will tackle exciting and challenging projects spanning a range of topics. Examples of projects the team has worked on include:
- Evaluate and recommend new financial services market entry opportunities
- Size American Express' share of e-commerce spend and recommend growth strategies
- Develop the long-term mobile app strategy to drive customer engagement
- Evaluate the emergence of digital currencies and the role American Express should play in the space
- Explore the metaverse to inform how American Express should position itself in this digital world
A Day in the Life on the Enterprise Strategy Team
No two days on the Enterprise Strategy team are the same – but here’s what one might look like for an Analyst, Manager, or Senior Manager
Morning
Afternoon
Evening
Where Can an Enterprise
Strategy Career Take You?
Some of the industry's most senior executives launched their careers with Enterprise Strategy – including former American Express CEO, Ken Chenault.
With an Enterprise Strategy career as a launchpad, you might choose to pursue leadership roles across the company globally, or you might continue on an upward path within the Enterprise Strategy team itself. Whatever your choice, you’ll have support not just from our leaders, but from a network of over 400 alumni that spans all levels of American Express and beyond.
JOIN OUR TEAM
Diverse Perspectives.
Empowered Voices.
The Enterprise Strategy team seeks outstanding people with unique experiences,
diverse perspectives, and a wide range of valuable skill sets.
Differences are what shape our world. It’s why we cultivate a diverse, inclusive workplace where every voice is valued and teamwork is rewarded – and everyone can feel like they belong. Your unique voice and differences spark the innovation that drive American Express strategies – and ultimately help our customers, our colleagues, and the communities we serve to thrive.
What We Look For in a Candidate
Are you a passionate problem-solver with a drive for results?
You love to work through complex problems and push for insights that deliver real impact – and you place a premium on personal development.
Are you a great collaborator and communicator?
You’re skilled in building relationships and can communicate clearly and effectively.
Are you an inclusive and driven leader?
You help create a diverse and inclusive culture, supporting teammates, driving change, and seeing the big picture.
Roles on the Enterprise Strategy Team
Analyst
As an Analyst, you’ll contribute to all aspects of project workstreams, You’ll learn to develop insights, conduct rigorous analysis, and drive decision-making.
Analysts are proactive, engaged, and intellectually curious with strong collaboration skills.
Colleagues in this role are undergraduate recruits or are experienced hires with 1-2 years of work experience. Applicants should demonstrate an interest in consulting and strategy work.
Currently not accepting Analyst applications.
Please check back later.
Manager / Senior Manager
As a Manager / Senior Manager, you will own project workstreams end-to-end in order to solve complex and ambiguous problems.
Managers / Senior Managers are able to work independently, manage stakeholder relationships, and provide mentorship and support to the broader team.
Colleagues in this role are MBA recruits or are experienced hires with 2-5 years of work experience in consulting, investment banking, or a related field.
Currently not accepting Manager / Sr. Manager applications. Please check back later.
Director
As a Director, you will lead project teams to develop solutions and present recommendations to senior leaders across the enterprise.
Directors demonstrate strong leadership skills including coaching and motivating team members and influencing decisions multiple laters above and below.
Colleagues in this role have 5+ years of experience and have led teams at top consulting firms.
Currently not accepting Director applications.
Please check back later.
The Enterprise Strategy Team Recruiting Process
This is your opportunity to give us an overview of your qualifications and demonstrate your interest in the role.
We want to get to know you and for you to know us, so be yourself and come with questions. The process consists of both behavioral interviews and case interviews, giving you an opportunity to discuss your past experiences and demonstrate your problem-solving skills.
We'll provide you with a decision after your final-round interview.
The Conversation Begins
With an Interview
The Behavioral Interview
This is where we’ll get to know you better, so be yourself. Tell us about your accomplishments, interests, and professional goals. Let us know why you think American Express, the Enterprise Strategy team, and the payments industry are the right fit for you.
It’s a two-way conversation, so be sure to ask us any questions you might have about life on the Enterprise Strategy team.
The Case Interview
Next, we'll ask you to tackle a hypothetical business challenge.
This helps us evaluate your strategy consulting skills, including how you structure problems, analyze data, develop insights, formulate conclusions, and communicate your thinking as you work.
Here’s a Practice Case for You to Try
Our Tips for a Successful Case Interview
Take time up front to make sure you understand the question(s) you're solving for – don’t deep-dive into the case without having confirmed the problem’s scope.
Don't be afraid to ask questions – it’s another form of engagement and helps you gain a better understanding of the problem.
Structured thinking is critical to success – for instance, jot down algebraic formulas before executing math, and bucket qualitative insights into categories.
Be thorough, but also “80/20” – we want to understand how you think and prioritize, so aim to be both exhaustive and targeted in your explanations.
Be sure to drive the case – after conducting any analysis, show that you know what analysis should come next to prove (or disprove) your hypothesis.
Save time for analysis – we suggest taking no more than two minutes to structure your thoughts at the beginning, and no more than one minute for your closing recommendation. The qualitative and quantitative analyses you make in between are far more important to us.
Focus on “quality” over “quantity” when prepping for the case study – try to internalize any peer feedback you might get from your practice cases to avoid making the same mistake twice.
American Express is an Equal Opportunity Employer.