Christopher Besendorfer

Christopher Besendorfer is an accomplished global business leader who recently joined Citi as the Managing Director: Head of Citi Travel and Rewards.2 With over 20 years of experience, he has established himself as an innovative executive with a proven track record of driving growth and transforming customer experiences in consumer products and services across loyalty, travel, and financial services verticals.1

Professional Background

Besendorfer's career highlights include:

• Building new businesses, including launching and scaling an e-commerce travel site that ranks among the Top 10 U.S. travel sites for sales1
• Redefining customer interactions and redemptions for American Express's Membership Rewards program1
• Holding various leadership roles at American Express, including Vice President/General Manager and Global Head of Travel and Lifestyle Service

Areas of Expertise

His areas of expertise encompass:

• Product management
• Business development
• Profitability optimization
• Employee development
• Global digital marketing
• Contract negotiation
• Crisis management

Education

Besendorfer holds:

• Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance from King's College
• Master of Business Administration from Hofstra University1

Personal Attributes

He is described as an entrepreneurial-minded executive with a global perspective, known for his ability to deliver results in fast-paced, rapidly changing growth businesses.1 Besendorfer is also recognized as an effective communicator skilled in negotiation and partnership building.

In his current role at Citi, Christopher Besendorfer is responsible for defining and delivering the strategic roadmap for the company's travel and rewards programs.2