Great Work/Life Balance, Less Pay than comparable banks/ marketing firms
Pros
Very supportive culture - ideas are widely shared and syndicated so everyone is brought along in the process. Management encourages movement every 1.5 - 2 years, so an employee can easily obtain a wide array of experiences across a discipline (markeitng, finance, etc). Generous flex work policy in certain business units. Amex is very good at fostering team building, employee engagement, charitable giving activities. Management regularly shares their views via Town Halls.
Cons
Every idea has to be syndicated/ approved - making change/ decision making painfully slow. Less pay vs. marketing/ CPG/ financial services/ payments companies. Likability is preferred over performance in many cases - which leads truly high performers to leave after the typical 3-5 year stint. The HSA health plan does not favor single earners. While movements within a business unit are encouraged, intra-business unit moves can be more difficult to effect.