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American Express Hosts Its Second Annual International Womena?s Day Celebration

^{Published on 2011-03-21 07:35:14 - Market Wire}
 

NEW YORK--([ BUSINESS WIRE ])--As part of a month-long celebration of the 100th anniversary of International Women's Day (IWD), American Express (NYSE: AXP) will host a series of events for employees and customers, including a worldwide webcast with Dr. Helen Fisher, an expert on the biology of gender and personality. Fisher will speak to employees about how understanding gender differences can be used as a strength in the workplace and marketplace on March 21 at the Companya™s New York City headquarters. International Women's Day provides multiple forums for American Express to focus on its commitment to recruiting, retaining and advancing women in the workforce as part of the company's ongoing priority of promoting inclusiveness and diversity.

"We were so pleased with the response and engagement that our employees showed last year, that we are thrilled to bring International Womena™s Day back with even more programs this year"

aWe were so pleased with the response and engagement that our employees showed last year, that we are thrilled to bring International Womena™s Day back with even more programs this year,a said Jennifer Christie, Chief Diversity Officer, American Express. aOver the past year, we have introduced an array of new programs aimed at helping our female talent advance, and International Womena™s Day is truly a celebration of that commitment here at American Express.a

As part of the International Womena™s Day Celebration, a variety of groups from within American Express are offering programs, including:

• On March 21, Dr. Helen Fisher, an expert on the biology of gender and personality, will speak to employees about creating a gender-inclusive culture
• Women's Interest Network (WIN) Chapters in eleven markets will host local International Women's Day celebrations, including panel discussions with senior women leaders and external speakers
• American Express OPEN, the leading payment card issuer for small businesses in the United States, is engaging female business owners in an International Women's Day networking breakfast in New York titled "Tools for a Booming Business"
• Financial guru Jean Chatzky offers advice tailored to women on financial empowerment, available on the [ PASS website ] this month

International Women's Day, first established on March 19, 1911, is a global day celebrating the economic, political and social achievements of women past, present and future.

Women at American Express

Currently, American Express leads the industry with women representing 65 percent of its workforce and one-third of its top executives. American Express is committed to building on that legacy by creating opportunities for women to leverage their skills, expertise and potential. Most recently, American Express co-authored research conducted with the Center for Work-Life Policy, aThe Sponsor Effect: Breaking Through the Last Glass Ceiling.a Published as a Harvard Business Review Research Report, the research outlines the critical role that sponsorship plays in career advancement, especially for women. That research has led to a variety of programs including the first-ever American Express Global Womena™s Conference held in September 2010 and new training courses offered to employees worldwide.

As a result of its efforts to encourage diversity and inclusion, American Express has been recognized by a variety of organizations in 2010 and 2011, including:

• DiversityInc aTop 10 Companies for Executive Womena
• Fortune "100 Best Companies to Work For"
• Latina Stylea™s 50 Best Companies for Latinas to Work
• NAFE "Top 50 Companies for Executive Women"
• Working Mother "100 Best Companies"
• Working Mother "Best Companies for Multicultural Women"

About American Express

American Express is a global services company, providing customers with access to products, insights and experiences that enrich lives and build business success. Learn more at [ www.americanexpress.com ] and connect with us on [ www.facebook.com/americanexpress ], [ www.twitter.com/americanexpress ] and [ www.youtube.com/americanexpress ].