American Express president dies during New York-bound flight

Gilligan was returning to New York from a business trip in Japan when he fell ill

The president of American Express Co. died suddenly after collapsing on a flight Friday, the company announced.

The passing of Edward Gilligan, 55, who was headed back to New York from a business trip in Japan, has left the New York-based credit card company in mourning.

According to a spokesperson, the 55-year-old was returning to New York from a business trip in Japan when he fell ill. Gilligan was also accompanied by other executives on the plane, he added.

Gilligan was considered as a strong leader internally as well as by investors and was named president of AmEx in 2013.

PHOTO: ALAMY

The company’s CEO in a letter to the staff stated, “Ed Gilligan's contributions have left an indelible imprint on practically every area of our business, from commercial card and travel to international, consumer, small business, merchant services, network services and, most recently, the group forging our digital partnerships and driving payment innovations.”

Gilligan was reportedly the likely successor to Chenault, who has served as the company’s CEO since 2001, and who will be 64 years-old next week. In the wake of Gilligan’s death, it is unclear who the potential candidates are for CEO when Chenault eventually steps down.

This article originally appeared on The Wall Street Journal