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American Express Picks Jess Ling as Its Next CMO

The longtime exec will succeed Elizabeth Rutledge on Nov. 30.

American Express has named its next chief marketing officer (CMO) in Jess Ling, who is currently its evp of global brand advertising.

She’ll take the seat Nov. 30, according to a letter to employees from Howard Grosfield, group president of U.S. consumer services, shared on the company’s website.

Ling succeeds Elizabeth Rutledge, who plans to retire in March after more than three decades with the financial institution.

A career building brands

Ling brings more than 20 years of experience in marketing, advertising, and media.

The exec previously led B2B marketing at Verizon Media. She joined American Express in 2019 and started in the global advertising and brand management team in 2023.

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Mitchell Parton is ADWEEK's senior commerce reporter, covering retail media as well as the rise of agentic and social commerce. Before joining ADWEEK in 2026, he was a reporter at Digiday Media's Modern Retail and before that wrote for several regional publications in Texas.