American Express Promotes Its In-House Ad Shop Architect to Global CMO
Jess Ling, who built American Express's internal creative studio, will become global CMO on November 30, succeeding 30-year company veteran Elizabeth Rutledge.
American Express is handing its marketing department to someone who already runs most of it. Jess Ling, currently EVP of global brand advertising and the executive who built the company's in-house creative agency, OnBrand, will become global chief marketing officer effective November 30, the company announced. She succeeds Elizabeth Rutledge, a more-than-30-year Amex veteran who will retire in March 2027 after helping steer the handoff.
Ling joined Amex in 2019 and moved into brand management in 2023, after running B2B marketing at Verizon Media. Howard Grosfield, group president of U.S. Consumer Services, framed the promotion as a vote for continuity over reinvention: "I'm confident she will build on this momentum and help shape an exciting next chapter for our brand and business," he said.
It's the kind of succession plan brands rarely get right: promote from inside and risk stagnation, or hire outside and risk losing the plot entirely. American Express is betting that the person who already built its creative engine is the safest bet to keep building it, rather than handing a 175-year-old brand to someone who needs a year just to learn where the bodies are buried.
Source: Adweek
Kyle Duford, Founder & Editor, BRNDWIRE. More from Kyle →
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