Ken Chenault on Amex GBT: Why Long Lake Bought It and What Membership Means for Travel

The useful part

Ken Chenault on Amex GBT and the Future of Travel Membership First read is on us. Login Unlock your next read Enter your email for a complimentary article + exclusive offers. Ken Chenault on Amex GBT and the Future of Travel Membership Bailey Schulz September 25th, 2026 at 11:02 AM EDT headphones Listen summarize Summarize Decision Intelligence Photo Credit:

How it works

• It was technology-focused, allowed him to work in a range of sectors, and would give him the opportunity to mentor the next generation of leaders.
• Before joining Skift, she worked for USA TODAY's money and travel sections and at the Las Vegas Review-Journal, where she covered the city's casino industry and tourism.
• Ask Skift Explore Skift Intelligence arrow_upward Ask Skift Key Points Nearly three-fourths of potential Amex GBT buyers passed on the deal over fears that AI would erode corporate travel agency work.
• Chenault said membership programs win on belonging as much as perks, pointing to Amex Platinum's live-events push that brought roughly 35% of new cardmembers in under age 36 within two years, followed by a...
• Skift Skift Take Chenault has kept his career focused on innovation and values.

What to take from it

It's a useful lens for the travel industry as it rethinks tech and loyalty. Kenneth Chenault's decision to leave his long-time role leading American Express for a venture capital firm in 2018 was, by his own admission, a bit of a head-scratcher. Chenault, one of the first Black CEOs at a Fortune 500 company, had spent 17 years leading Amex and building out one of the world's largest customer loyalty programs.

Example or evidence

• Long Lake buys legacy services businesses and rebuilds them around its own AI platform, Nexus AI.
• … I didn't just want to be an advisor," he said on stage at the Skift Global Forum.
• Nearly a decade later, the company has been investing more in the travel space.
• General Catalyst backs private equity firm Long Lake Management, which earlier Get unlimited access with Skift Pro.

Details worth keeping

Kenneth Chenault, left, on stage at the 2026 Skift Global Forum. The firm checked all of the boxes on Chenault's list: Login Bailey Schulz, Global Tourism Reporter Bailey is Skift's global tourism reporter.

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