American Express Co. said President Edward Gilligan died after becoming seriously ill on a flight home to New York on Friday morning.

Mr. Gilligan, who was widely considered the heir apparent to Chief Executive Kenneth Chenault, was named as the company's president two years ago. He had joined the company in 1980 and had served as vice chairman beginning in 2007.

"His contributions have left an indelible imprint on practically every area of our business, from Commercial Card and Travel to International, Consumer, Small Business, Merchant Services, Network Services and, most recently, the group forging our digital partnerships and driving payment innovations," Mr. Chenault said in a letter to the staff.

Write to Josh Beckerman at josh.beckerman@wsj.com

Access Investor Kit for American Express Co.

Visit http://www.companyspotlight.com/partner?cp_code=P479&isin=US0258161092

Subscribe to WSJ: http://online.wsj.com?mod=djnwires

American Express (NYSE:AXP)
Historical Stock Chart
From Mar 2024 to Apr 2024 Click Here for more American Express Charts.
American Express (NYSE:AXP)
Historical Stock Chart
From Apr 2023 to Apr 2024 Click Here for more American Express Charts.