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companies & people
Women Driving Payments Change
mary ellen Johnsen Jelenek
VP, Enterprise Growth Consumer Marketing, American Express
Never under-invest in getting to know your customer. That’s the philosophy behind
Mary Ellen Johnsen Jelenek’s work to transform American Express’ premium centennial brand into one of access. As vice president of consumer marketing for the com- pany’s Enterprise Growth division, she is responsible for defining value propositions, positioning and messaging; acquisition across digital, retail and partnership channels; all loyalty communica- tions and customer analytics for American Express Serve, co-brands like Bluebird, gift cards and new consumer payment products.
It was a deep dive into consumer preferences that led to Serve’s relaunch in 2013 as well as the August 2015 launch of three new versions of Serve that cater to different needs—a 1 percent cash-back card, a direct deposit card and a free cash reload card. “We took everything we learned
Best Advice
“When something isn’t going as planned,
I remind myself of two things: 1. There is always a way out, and 2. I’m not defined by the circumstances— what defines me is
the way I behave in that situation.”
from customers over the past
two years and designed products to meet more specific needs and offer more choice,” Jelenek says. “Cash back is truly transformational for prepaid.”
Expanding American Express’ target audience has required significant research. “We spent
a significant amount of time with our target customer in a variety
of research forums and in analyz- ing the way our customers interact with our products,” Jelenek says. “When a target is new to our business, it is especially important for us to understand where they are coming from and engage with them in a meaningful way,” she adds. Using the right language and tone has been important. “Many consumers perceive Amex as a premium brand, which is great, but American Express is also a brand that stands for service, which is a benefit that everyone can relate to and want for themselves.”
Mobile Engagement
One thing that’s shifting is how consumers communicate with the company. “Mobile technology is reshaping how we interact with our customers—through acquisi- tion and engagement,” she says.
In the summer of 2014, Serve began to acquire more customers on mobile devices than on desktop computers. As a result, Jelenek’s team has focused significant attention on ensuring a seamless mobile experience to bring new customers in and service them
on an ongoing basis.
When it comes to managing
her team of 75, Jelenek operates with three principles in mind:
“Be authentic, do what I think is right by the business and people, and be open to change.” She is inspired by her team and the work they do together. “The best ideas are often seeds that one person might start but the whole team builds upon to create what we ultimately bring to market.”
As for her personal life, Jelenek says since becoming a mom, she’s traded in yoga classes and fancy restaurants for weekends at the zoo and dinners at home, where her husband typically cooks for her and their 3-year-old daughter. “My husband enjoys cooking at
the end of the workday and is a fantastic chef, which has the added bonus of exploding traditional gender roles for our daughter. When it’s my turn, I’m on Seam- less—an app full of New York City’s finest takeout menus.”
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