BET Honoree CEO, Chairman of American Express Ken Chenault: 'Have belief in yourself that you can make it' ( exclusive interview )

BET Honoree, Ken Chenault has been the CEO and Chairman of American Express since 2001. The business man is the third African-American CEO of a Fortune 500 company, and was honored Monday Feb. 24, at the BET Honors.

If you are a owner of a black card then you can thank this man. Scandal star, Joe Morton introduced Ken Chenault. The Harvard Law student tripled merchandising revenue for American Express in just three short years. In 1997 he was named COO, and in 2011 he became CEO and says, "to be a great leader you must bring out the best in other people."

The CEO also says, "be courteous but push forward and make sure u get the job done." When asked about youth trying to get jobs and an education and what he would say to them, the Honoree said, "you can't give up you have to have the confidence that you can succeed if you focus on your performance, that is what you control."

See more of the Corporate Citizen award recipient now.