American Express president Ed Gilligan dies at 55

Dies after becoming ill on a flight to NY

Ed Gilligan, President and Head of Global Consumer and Small Business Card Issuing, Network & Merchant Businesses of American Express Company has died unexpectedly on a flight back home to NY. He is survived by his wife and four children.

Mr. Gilligan has been with the company for 35 years and has been president since 2013. He was thought to be a potential successor to the CEO Kenneth Chenault. He was only 55.