Madge Thomas

Madge Thomas is President of American Express Foundation and Head of Corporate Sustainability at American Express, where she oversees philanthropic giving, partnerships and programs, as well as set and execute the vision for global corporate sustainability (CS)—including AMEX’s Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) strategy.

Before American Express, Thomas was the Head of Innovative Finance, Corporate and Philanthropic partnerships at UNICEF’s Education Cannot Wait Fund. In that capacity, she was responsible for securing partnerships with companies and governments to drive, impact and measure investments in learning access, innovation, and equity.

Prior to her role at the UN, Thomas was Vice President of Global Policy & Advocacy at Global Citizen, where she developed policy strategies and engaged multinational corporations in CSR, cause-giving, advocacy, impact and reporting aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Leading an international team, Thomas’ efforts mobilized top celebrities, world leaders and millions of consumers to help secure $10B+ and high-level policy commitments on financial inclusion, education, equality, climate action and waste reduction.

Thomas previously spent eight years in Australia as a lawyer and diplomat, specializing in regulatory, equality and human rights.