Raymond Joabar is a global C-Suite-experienced executive with more than 30 years at American Express. With a proven history of driving broad organizational change, his leadership helps fuel innovation, drive scale, generate revenue, and deepen brand relevance for the Company. As a board-elected officer and Executive Committee member, Raymond helps shape American Express’ strategic direction and key policies.
Raymond currently serves as Group President of American Express’ Global Merchant & Network Services (GMNS) organization. In this position, he leads a global team overseeing relationships with millions Amex-accepting businesses, as well as third party payment providers, strategic bank and fintech partners, and the Company’s globally integrated payments network.
Under his current leadership, the company continues to grow its global merchant acceptance footprint and modernize its payment network to meet a broader range of customer needs. Since 2017, the GMNS team has more than tripled the number of places that accept American Express worldwide, driving significant scale and revenue for the Company.
Prior to his current role, he served as Chief Risk Officer and President of Global Risk and Compliance of American Express and American Express National Bank. As Chief Risk Officer, Raymond developed American Express’ and the U.S. Bank’s risk appetite, ensuring safety and soundness, and managing Enterprise-wide risk. He guided the organization through the crisis of the Covid-19 pandemic, navigating the risk landscape and fortifying controls resiliently.
Raymond's track record spans multiple countries and lines of business. He accelerated growth as President of the International Consumer Card Services and Global Travel & Lifestyle Services (TLS), the Company’s fastest growing segment responsible for issuing American Express Cards across thirty-three countries outside of the U.S. He was also at the helm of the Company’s global customer servicing and credit & fraud operations. In that time, he drove the digital transformation across a large team of professionals who serve customers and bring the American Express Brand Promise of Trust, Service, & Security to life via the mobile, web, and phone channels.
A relatable people leader who connects with colleagues on-the-ground, he is enthusiastic about leading large global organizations, committed to leadership development, and to building talent and diversity in the workplace.
Raymond holds a degree in electrical engineering from the University of Michigan and an MBA from Manchester Business School. He enjoys running, golf and photography and is an advocate for the arts. He currently serves on the board of directors of Global Business Travel (GBT), the Lincoln Center Theater, and the American Associates of the National Theatre. He also sits on the U.S. Travel Association’s CEO Roundtable.