Type: Public
On the web: http://www.americanexpress.com
Employees: 61,000
Employee growth: 4.6%

American Express makes money even if you do leave home without it. The company is one of the world's largest travel agencies, but it is better known for its charge cards and revolving credit cards. And yes, the company still issues traveler's checks and publishes such magazines as "Food & Wine" and "Travel + Leisure" through its American Express Publishing unit. Its travel agency operations have thousands of locations worldwide, and its Travelers Cheque Group is the world's largest issuer of traveler's checks. But the company's charge and credit cards are its bread and butter; American Express has some 91 million cards in circulation worldwide.

Key numbers for fiscal year ending December, 2011:
Sales: $32,282.0M
One year growth: 6.7%
Net income: $4,935.0M
Income growth: 21.6%

Officers:
Chairman and CEO; CEO, American Express Centurion Bank: Kenneth I. (Ken) Chenault
Vice Chairman; CEO, Business-to-Business: Edward P. (Ed) Gilligan
EVP and CIO: Toby E. Redshaw

Competitors:
Discover
MasterCard
Visa Inc

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