EP 74: JPMorgan Chase’s Kristin Lemkau: Professional Ambition, Personal Loss & Feeling “Unstoppable”

Kristin Lemkau was thriving in her job as CMO of JPMorgan Chase, a job she thought would be her last, when CEO Jamie Dimon and his leadership team threw a new challenge her way.  They wanted the company to become more competitive in the wealth management space, and offered Lemkau the job as CEO of J.P. Morgan Wealth Management.  Despite some significant hurdles that would come with building the business, Lemkau took on the role in late 2019.  

A few years into this professional challenge, she experienced a tectonic shift in her personal life.  Lemkau’s husband, who had stayed at home with their two children, passed away.  Overnight, she became a single mom.  She found herself trying to figure out all the details of the family’s day-to-day life that he had handled, from multiple school apps, household bills, her kids’ sports schedule, and more. 

After taking some time off, her two teenagers encouraged her to return to work, where she thrived.  Under her leadership. J.P. Morgan Wealth Management has grown from  $500 billion to $1.3 trillion dollars in assets, an accomplishment she confidently takes credit for.    

”What I've done over the past six years was really, really hard.I genuinely believe a lot of people couldn't have done it. We had a lot of headwinds, but we did it,” Lemkau said. 

 💬 In this episode, we explore:

• Why Kristin Lemkau said “yes” to the CEO job, despite really “loving” her marketing job and the people she worked with
• Lemkau’s approach to re-making and growing the wealth management business 
• How her personal loss has impacted the way she manages her team 
• Her secret for getting a full-night’s sleep, and why that’s been so critical for her well-being 
• Her thoughts on being the oldest of four very high-achieving siblings, and what about their upbringing may have helped them all to succeed
• Some of the perks of working at JPMorgan, including being front and center for one of the wildest US Open Women’s Finals ever

Resources:

🔗 Visit J.P. Morgan Wealth Management 

📸  Follow @JPMorgan Wealth Management on Instagram

📸  Follow @JPMorgan Wealth Management on LinkedIn

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