‘Go big or go home.’

That, in a nutshell, is the philosophy that has guided Pam Arway throughout her marketing career – first in Canada, now in the good old U.S. of A.

As senior vice-president, global supplier relations for American Express Corporate Services with American Express Worldwide in New York, it’s Arway’s responsibility to manage the company’s relationships with its key travel business partners around the world.

Airlines, hotels, car rental companies, tour operators and cruise lines – all of the company’s clients have global businesses, Arway explains, so it makes sense that the company’s customers and its business partners are able to deal with American Express on a global basis, too.

‘My job is to coordinate our relationships globally, so that we bring value to our clients, our business partners and ourselves.’

No mean feat. But one well within the scope of one of Canada’s top marketers.

While at Amex Canada, Arway spearheaded the relaunch of the American Express Gold Card, helped develop the Front of the Line loyalty program and chaperoned the successful amalgamation of Thomas Cook under the American Express umbrella when Amex purchased the famed travel agent’s worldwide corporate travel management business in 1994.

Arway says her responsibilities have increased ‘significantly’ since she moved to the Big Apple five months ago, but colleagues back in Canada say she’s well up to the challenge.

‘Pam’s achievements helped to shape the company we are today and will have a lasting impression on our future,’ says Alan Stark, president and general manager of Amex Canada and president and CEO of Amex Bank of Canada. ‘Certainly, one of the best business decisions I have ever made was the appointment of Pam as the head of our Corporate Services division.’

In addition to the integration of Thomas Cook, Stark also points to Arway’s ‘skilful manoeuvering’ through an era of industry-wide chaos created by the airlines when they capped commissions on ticket sales at 8% back in 1995. A relentless drive to improve operational efficiency and profitability marked her efforts generally at Amex Canada, he adds. And she can claim the lion’s share of credit for winning the lucrative federal government card program account for Amex, as well as the Department of National Defence travel account.

‘Little wonder that she was invited to apply her talents to a broader, international stage,’ says Stark.

A native Newfoundlander, Arway obtained a bachelor of arts degree from Memorial University in her home town of St. John’s and an MBA from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ont.

Like many top marketers, Arway is a Procter & Gamble alumnus. Recruited by P&G to be a brand assistant, she later moved up to the position of brand manager, where she spent about four years honing her skills.

After coming to the conclusion that marketing financial services products looked more challenging than dreaming up an endless array of promotions to move soaps and cake mixes, she took a product manager position with Bank of Montreal. Among her achievements over five years with BMO was the launch of the bank’s Gold MasterCard (the first Gold MasterCard for the Canadian market) and the launch of BMO’s no-fee MasterCard.

Those successes, coupled with a complete immersion in the theory and tactics of credit card marketing led her to approach the industry leader, American Express, which snapped her up to lead its Canadian corporate services division.

That was 12 years ago. She’s been with Amex ever since.

One of a select group of Canadian marketers who have achieved honorary lifetime member status with the Canadian Marketing Association (formerly the CDMA), Arway attributes her success to hard work and an attitude that gives no quarter to mediocrity.

‘If you’re going to spend money on marketing, you need to make an impact.

‘I mean, really, if you have a million dollars to spend and you have a choice between spending it on one thing will get you a whole lot of impact or 10 things spread out into separate projects, each with mild impact, I would go for the one big boom….You’re wasting your money if you try to overreach.’

Arway’s goals for the immediate future are to cement the global supplier relations group’s organizational structure, and to get to work building strong relationships with key Amex suppliers around the world, in a bid to prove to American Express top brass that their decision to invest in the new division was the right one.

With such heady goals to achieve and such intense scrutiny to work under, is she wistful about the good old days in Canada?

‘I miss my colleagues terribly,’ she says.

‘The size of the market down here is a little overwhelming at first. There are different customs in the United States and, even though Canadians look the same and speak the same, it is a different country and we forget that sometimes.

‘But overall I’m enjoying it. The pace here is very fast. I’m surrounded by a tremendous number of very smart people and it’s been a lot of fun.’

Sidebar: Kudos to Arway

Visionary, leader, gem. Not only has Pam Arway totted up an impressive list of accomplishments, it seems she’s a great person to boot. Here’s what some of her colleagues had to say about her:

‘She is a passionate leader, not afraid to show her emotions – and the emotions she displays are enthusiasm and optimism. She is a superb strategist blessed with the gift of being able to communicate with a down-home logic that makes people see it, believe it and want to work with her to make it happen.’

– Alan Stark, president and general manager, Amex Canada, and president and CEO, Amex Bank of Canada.

‘She left a legacy with the CMA. In 1992/93, as chair of the then CDMA, she conceived and guided the implementation of the association’s mission statement. Despite changing economic times, rapid membership growth and merging media, the statement remains unchanged to this day, still fresh and relevant.

‘Pam Arway is a gem. We miss her already and she’s hardly gone.’

– John Gustavson, president, Canadian Marketing Association

‘In November of 1996, Amex Travel Canada had just signed a deal with us. Rather than take the traditional supplier/customer approach, I wanted a new model. Pam and I talked it through, and it became evident very quickly that she had the vision and conviction to work with me in pushing the envelope. Today, Amex Travel Canada is our largest travel agency partner.

‘Much of the credit goes to Pam. In her own quiet and subtle way, she influenced her organization to take on a new lead supplier and a new approach to doing business.’

– Marc Rosenberg, vice-president, sales and product distribution, Air Canada