
VP, American Express - Head of Corporate Portfolio Management / Project Portfolio Management
Greater New York City Area

VP, American Express - Head of Corporate Portfolio Management / Project Portfolio Management
Greater New York City Area
Finance and strategy specialist with significant expertise in corporate innovation and corporate portfolio management (also referred to as enterprise portfolio management, product portfolio management, resource allocation, investment optimization).
I've built the corrporate portfolio management effort at American Express. It is widely recognized as the leading practice in corporate portfolio management. I also recently managed the company's inaugural Chairman's Innovation Fund with a focus on identifying and seeding the best disruptive and emerging ideas for the organization.
I'm the author of a book entitled "Optimizing Corporate Portfolio Management" which features a foreword by Gary Crittenden, the current CFO/COO of Citigroup and former CFO of American Express. I am also a frequent speaker on Corporate Portfolio Management speaking to organizations like the CFO Executive Board, Gartner, Beyond Budgeting Roundtable, CFO Magazine and to many corporate management teams.
Corporate portfolio management, innovation, corporate venturing, enterprise portfolio management, investment optimization, project portfolio management, strategic planning, PPM, resource allocation, venture capital, finance, operations, distribution, investments, product development, investment optimization, management consulting, strategic growth and planning
(Public Company; 10,001 or more employees; AXP; Financial Services industry)
November 2000 — Present (7 years 11 months)
I am currently in charge of American Express' Investment Optimization group (Investment Optimization is more commonly known as corporate portfolio management) which manages the company's discretionary investment spend ($4-5B per annum). The company's portfolio management efforts have received numerous awards and recognition from the likes of the CFO Executive Board, Baseline Magazine, Gartner, and CFO Magazine amongst other. Additionally, I head up American Express' CFO's internal strategy and business analysis/consulting group. I also lead our CEO's recently instituted $50MM Chairman's Innovation Fund to find, incubate and develop incremental and disruptive innovative business opportunities.
(Privately Held; 1001-5000 employees; Internet industry)
1999 — 2000 (1 year)
At Kozmo.com, I was part of a team of four selected to launch Kozmo Europe based in London. This required raising venture capital, negotiating business development deals with potential distribution/retail partners and managing the operations of this start-up venture in London.
Kozmo.com was an internet delivery & logistics company. It remains, to-date, the most well-funded startup in Silicon Alley (NYC) history.
(Privately Held; 51-200 employees; Chemicals industry)
June 1997 — October 1999 (2 years 5 months)
Worked with multinational company with locations in India, China and the USA to streamline operations, develop corporate strategy, understand and penetrate adjacent product markets and develop new geographic markets for company's existing products.
Exec Education, Building New Ventures: Entrepreneurship in Established Companies, 2006 — 2006
Exec Education, Marketing Metrics / Marketing Science, 2005 — 2005
BS Economics, Finance, Accounting, 1997
BS Engineering, Chemical Engineering, 1992 — 1996
corporate portfolio management, enterprise portfolio management, project and portfolio management, ppm, IT portfolio management, resource allocation, strategic planning, innovation, product development, professional networking, marathon running, international travel, skiing, rock climbing
Wharton Club of NY
- Lead, Wharton Club of NY alumni business plan competition
- Chairperson, Affinity Groups, Finance Leadership Academy
American Express President's Award
American Express CFO Premiere Award
The Corporate Portfolio Management capability I've developed at American Express has won the following awards:
- Baseline Magazine ROI Award for "Best New Application", 2005
- Baseline Magazine ROI Award for "Most Innovative Application", 2005
- Named one of InfoWorld's 100 top applications of 2005
The discipline was also deemed one of 2005's Triumphs by Baseline Magazine.