Leader Is Out at American Express Unit

American Express Co. said Tuesday that it is replacing a top executive at its travel-related unit, a troubled sector that includes the company’s core charge card and traveler’s check business.

The company named Jonathan Linen, 48, to the new title of president and chief operating officer of its Travel Related Services unit.

He will replace Richard Thoman, 47, who was the unit’s vice chairman. Thoman will leave American Express on June 1, the company said.

Linen will return to the travel-related unit after serving two years as chief executive at the company’s Shearson Lehman Bros. brokerage, a unit that was causing American Express difficulties at the time of his appointment.

Linen will help “implement all initiatives designed to build our relationships with card members and service establishments, reposition consumer lending, further expand our travel management businesses and re-engineer operations to ensure that we run our businesses more efficiently,” Chairman James Robinson said.

American Express has been in disputes with some merchants over the rates it charges and attempts by some retailers to persuade consumers to switch to less-expensive cards.

John Laird, 49, will replace Linen at Shearson. He will also continue as chairman and chief executive of Shearson’s Boston Co. money management and banking unit.