September 09, 2011 09:18 AM Eastern Daylight Time
NEW YORK & SILICON VALLEY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--American Express (NYSE: AXP) today announced Harshul Sanghi will lead the Enterprise Growth Group’s new office in Silicon Valley, slated to open later this year. The Enterprise Growth Group is a new business unit within American Express focused on expanding alternative mobile and online payment services beyond the traditional card and travel businesses. Sanghi will work to broaden and strengthen American Express’ existing online and mobile products through key partnerships with the local technology and venture communities. Sanghi has extensive corporate venture experience and a strong mobile background from his most recent role at Motorola Ventures.
“The payments industry is experiencing a significant transformation and I believe this is just the beginning”
“Building the Enterprise Growth Group on the west coast has always been critical to new business development. Silicon Valley is home to countless technology companies and venture firms who are important to our long term success,” explained Dan Schulman, Group President, Enterprise Growth, American Express. “Harshul’s unique background and strong relationships within the venture community made him a clear choice for this position and we’re thrilled to have him join the team.”
“The payments industry is experiencing a significant transformation and I believe this is just the beginning,” said Harshul Sanghi, new head of Enterprise Growth Group, Silicon Valley. “Strategic partnerships with local start-ups will allow American Express to leverage emerging technologies, keep pace with rapid changes in consumer behavior, and retain our strong leadership position in the coming years.”
Prior to accepting his new position with American Express, Sanghi was the Managing Director of North American venture activities for Motorola Mobility. In this role, Harshul worked diligently to re-establish Motorola’s Silicon Valley presence through venture investing, positioning Motorola as one of the most well-known strategic partners in the start-up space.
Before joining Motorola, Sanghi was the Vice President, Business Development at Ucentric Systems Inc., where he positioned the company as an industry leader in whole home media and multi-room DVR solutions. Sanghi was an instrumental leader during the acquisition of Ucentric by Motorola. Prior to that, Sanghi led Philips Electronics’ satellite set top box business in North America.
Sanghi also has extensive general management and business development experience in the semiconductor, enterprise software, and consumer electronics industries. Sanghi attended the University of Oregon, where he received a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science; and later acquired his M.B.A. from the International Institute for Management Development (IMD) in Switzerland.
