Robert. A. Savage (born in London, 1933) is an ex president and chief executive of American Express 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.
He is also a past member of the Foreign Exchange Committee. During the famous Edmond Safra affair of the 1980s he was part of a management group led by Bob Smith which was close to buying the Trade development Bank and American Express 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 inexplicably changed his mind.
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