The CEO of American Express, Steve Squeri, maintains grueling 17-hour workdays, which encompass tasks such as enjoying a Chopt salad for lunch at his desk each afternoon and dedicating three hours each night to respond to customer emails.
Squeri’s day commences with him leaving home just 15 minutes after waking up at 5:45 a.m., as reported by the Financial Times. During his commute to the office, he efficiently uses the time to work. Before diving into a four-hour stretch of meetings, he manages to fit in a workout session on his stationary bike.
At the age of 64, Steve Squeri has held the positions of chairman and CEO at American Express since 2018. In 2022, he garnered an impressive total compensation exceeding $48 million, as disclosed in the company’s 2023 proxy statement.
In reflecting on his journey, Squeri offered, “I serve as an illustration of how anyone can ascend to the pinnacle through relentless hard work,” as conveyed to the Financial Times.
He characterized his daily routine as “intense,” and the demands of his job persist until just an hour before his bedtime, during which he winds down from 10:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m., marking the end of his day.
The three hours leading up to his relaxation time are dedicated to addressing a substantial volume of customer emails, typically numbering between 150 and 200, as he explained. “I meticulously read and respond to each and every one,” he emphasized. “We uphold a membership model. How can you neglect them?”
In his perspective, being a CEO is a “round-the-clock commitment.” Although he endeavors to preserve Friday nights for personal time, he allocates approximately five hours on Sundays to prepare for the forthcoming workweek.
The Financial Times provided a comprehensive breakdown of his daily schedule, which is as follows:
5:45 a.m. — Wake up.
6:00 a.m. — Leave for work and read emails in the car.
6:45 a.m. — Exercise with a 30-minute stationary bike ride in the office, along with fruit and tea for breakfast.
8 a.m. — Begin day’s meetings.
12 p.m. — Eat a Chopt salad at his desk.
12:30 p.m.-5:30 p.m. — More meetings and other work, including dropping by the cafeteria for snacks to be seen by employees and “break the monotony of the day.
5:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m. — Take phone calls on his way home; then dinner.
7:30 p.m.-10:30 p.m. — Answer 150 to 200 customer emails.
10:30 p.m.-11:30 p.m. — An hour of unwinding before bed.
Source: businessinsider.com