Name: David Rabkin
Title: Senior Vice President, Consumer Lending Products
Company, city: American Express; New York, N.Y.
Number of employees: 63,500 worldwide
Recent project: Raising the bar on delivering meaningful value through our affinity cards, including partner-specific benefits such as frequent-flyer rewards and services like priority boarding.
First job: At 15 I scooped ice cream at Baskin-Robbins; after college I worked as a sales representative for Procter & Gamble in San Francisco.
Little-known fact about you: I’ve worked in 20 countries and lived in six, including two and a half years in Jamaica.
David Rabkin’s Business
Essential business philosophy: Strategy is defined by what you actually do, not just by what you say you will do.
Best way to keep a competitive edge: Stay closer to your customers than your competitors. Listen to them and respond to their needs.
Yardstick of success: Is my team engaged? Hiring the right people creates a cohesive, motivated team that delivers results.
David Rabkin as a Traveler
What is the most important item you take when traveling? My American Express card.
How do you spend your time on board? I use my iPad. With in-flight Internet available more often, it’s become the ideal device for both work and entertainment.
What is your favorite restaurant in the world? Jardineira Café, São Paulo.
What is your favorite destination in the world? Israel.
About American Express
What do the American Express co-branded credit cards offer frequent travelers? Travel is central to American Express. We operate as one of the world’s largest travel agencies and are a leading issuer of co-branded cards. Our cards deliver a variety of travel benefits, including airport lounge access, hotel and airline loyalty rewards, and partner-specific perks designed for frequent travelers.
Beyond co-branded products, our credit and charge cards participate in the Membership Rewards program, allowing cardmembers to book travel with points or transfer them to frequent-flyer programs such as Delta SkyMiles.
Our Platinum Card provides premium perks like lounge access, participation in international airline programs, and elevated hotel benefits — for example, late check-out, room upgrades when available, and complimentary breakfast when booking through Fine Hotels & Resorts. We also offer the Blue Sky Preferred card, which includes a $100 airline credit that can be used toward incidental fees like checked baggage.
Which travel-related brands are affinity card partners? We offer a comprehensive lineup with Delta Air Lines, with benefits ranging from complimentary checked bags and priority boarding to Medallion Qualification Miles and companion tickets. Our JetBlue card provides targeted discounts, including 50 percent off select in-flight purchases. In the hotel space, we partner with Hilton to offer two HHonors co-branded cards that earn bonus points on eligible purchases, and our Starwood Preferred Guest card is widely regarded as a top travel rewards product.
What are the plans for the future in terms of affinity cards? We continually seek new partners that expand our portfolio and bring benefits and services attractive to new customer segments. This is an ongoing effort to enhance relevance and value.
We are also experimenting with more personalized engagement through social media and dynamic email campaigns. These channels help us deliver special offers and partner deals in real time that are most relevant to individual cardmembers.