Halfway through Jamie Dimon's special incentive to stay five more years atop JPMorgan Chase & Co., insiders are predicting more senior leadership changes to help potential successors gather experience.
A management shuffle in mid-2021 put two talented deputies — Jennifer Piepszak and Marianne Lake — into the spotlight as the board prepared to grant Dimon a bonus if he remains chief executive officer another half-decade.
But with neither the clear frontrunner, colleagues say the two consumer-banking co-heads will likely need to tackle new assignments before one is ready to run the whole company.
Meanwhile, Piepszak has expressed reticence in the past about taking the top job, while Lake has at least entertained opportunities elsewhere, people familiar with the matter said, asking not to be identified discussing private talks. And Dimon shows no signs he views his retention package as a career closer.
Such is the endlessly evolving succession buzz atop the nation's biggest bank, where life under 67-year-old Dimon is more profitable than ever, and life after him is just as hazy. The question of who might steward the firm is one that looms over the industry — offering its most prominent perch as well as responsibility for a $3.9 trillion balance sheet.
JPMorgan vs. Morgan Stanley
The limbo at JPMorgan compares with the crisp succession planning this year at Morgan Stanley, where longtime leader James Gorman, 65, announced he was ready to conduct a bake-off for his job.
In the ensuing months, Gorman and the board reviewed a slate of viable candidates, made their pick and persuaded the others to stick around — setting up an unusually smooth handoff for Jan. 1.
One key difference is that Gorman said he was eager to try something new. Dimon's passion is overseeing the behemoth he helped build.
This account of the state of play in JPMorgan is based on interviews with more than a dozen current and former executives and others close to the firm's leadership.
Though a JPMorgan spokesperson declined to comment, the bank has repeatedly offered assurances that its succession planning is robust and consistently updated. As Dimon himself told investors this year: "The board is very comfortable that we've got really top choices here."
JPMorgan has already established that President Daniel Pinto, 60, is ready to take over in an emergency or accelerated handoff. He co-led the firm in 2020 when Dimon underwent heart surgery.
The bigger question is which person the bank might choose from the next generation for an orderly transition and a long tenure.
Lake vs. Piepszak
That's why most eyes are on Lake, 54, and Piepszak, 53. Insiders say others are also seen as entering the fray — such as Troy Rohrbaugh and Marc Badrichani, who co-lead markets and securities services, as well as payments head Takis Georgakopoulos and chief strategy and growth officer Sanoke Viswanathan.
Succession is a formidable challenge for Dimon, putting his legacy at stake. He has run JPMorgan for 18 years, growing it through the 2008 financial crisis and then adapting it to an era of stiffer regulation and digital banking. He came out ahead again during this year's turmoil in regional banking, scooping up First Republic to bolster JPMorgan's presence in Silicon Valley.
While Dimon's track record may give the next CEO stable footing, it has also raised questions about who else is up to the task.
Piepszak has gained momentum as the top candidate in recent years, clinching a series of promotions and building relationships with other senior executives, colleagues said. Though she has privately told several people that she isn't sure she wants the job, one executive said that's not the case today. Regardless, if the board ultimately wants her, it will approach her.
Lake, Piepszak's close friend and mentor-turned-co-head atop the firm's giant consumer banking business, has extended her tenure as a senior executive known for an in-the-weeds understanding of the firm.
Her name has come up in a number of CEO searches and, in some cases, she has entertained overtures. She interviewed to run Wells Fargo & Co. in 2019 and this year held preliminary talks with PayPal Holdings Inc. about that firm's top job.
