Robert. A. Savage is an ex president and chief executive of American Express

American Express

American Express Company or AmEx, is an American multinational financial services corporation headquartered in Three World Financial Center, Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States. Founded in 1850, it is one of the 30 components of the Dow Jones Industrial Average. The company is best...

 becoming chairman in 1991. He joined American Express in 1965 from Barclays Bank, where he was deputy chief trader of foreign currency. Savage is a graduate of Harvard University

Harvard University

Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...

.

He is also a past member of the Foreign Exchange Committee

Foreign Exchange Committee

Founded in 1978 the Foreign Exchange Committee is an industry group that provides guidance and leadership to the global foreign exchange market. The FXC includes representatives of major financial institutions engaged in foreign currency trading in the United States and is sponsored by the Federal...

. During the famous Edmond Safra

Edmond Safra

Edmond J. Safra was a Jewish Brazilian-naturalized, Lebanese banker who continued the family tradition of banking in Lebanon, Brazil and Switzerland. He married Lily Watkins. He died in a fire that attracted wide media interest and was judicially determined to be due to arson.-Life of Edmond...

 affair of the 1980s he was part of a management group led by Bob Smith which was close to buying the Trade development Bank

Trade Development Bank

Trade Development Bank was a private Geneva-based bank built by Edmond Safra in the 1950s. Beginning with only $1 million, the bank grew into the flagship of Safra’s international banking empire with nearly $5 billion in deposits by the early 1980s...

 and American Express

American Express

American Express Company or AmEx, is an American multinational financial services corporation headquartered in Three World Financial Center, Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States. Founded in 1850, it is one of the 30 components of the Dow Jones Industrial Average. The company is best...

 for $600 million. The bank's largest clients had been approached, and they were convinced they could swing a deal. Confidence was so high even a press release was being written up in anticipation of an announcement until then Chairman Jim Robinson

James D. Robinson III

James Dixon Robinson III was the chief executive officer of American Express Co. from 1977 until his retirement in 1993.-Education:...

inexplicably changed his mind.