American Express Names Sonia Cargan as Chief Diversity Officer

The FINANCIAL — American Express on March 8 announced the appointment of Sonia Cargan as the chief diversity officer.

In this role, Cargan will be responsible for ensuring American Express remains an employer of choice among top diverse talent and drives collective success through the development of inclusive teams and a collaborative work environment.

“Sonia is a long-time advocate of the business results that can be achieved through the development of a diverse and inclusive organization,” said Kevin Cox, chief human resources officer, American Express. “As an executive with a wealth of global experience, she is also ideally suited to continue to elevate and evolve our diversity and inclusion strategies through a global lens.”

“I am excited to build on American Express’ long-standing diversity and inclusion best practices,” said Cargan. “In the coming months, I will be dialing up our emphasis on inclusivity to continue fostering a company culture where differences are embraced and high-performing, diverse teams are enabled to reach their full potential.”

In addition to leading a team of global diversity and inclusion professionals, Cargan will serve as a conduit to the company’s 15 active colleague networks with nearly 100 chapters globally, working to promote a culture of inclusion, increase colleague engagement and provide development opportunities to help colleagues advance throughout the organization, according to American Express.

Throughout her 22-year career with American Express, Cargan has held a range of Human Resources roles in Europe, Asia, and North America, and built a strong track record of successfully partnering with business leaders to drive strategic organizational goals. Prior to becoming chief diversity officer, Cargan was senior HR business partner for a portfolio of groups including Global Finance, the General Counsel’s Organization, Global Advertising and Brand Management, the Internal Audit Group and Corporate Affairs & Communications.

Cargan earned a BA Honors degree in social administration from the University of Brighton and is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development in the UK.