How JPMorgan’s CFO became the top prospect to succeed Dimon

NEW YORK: As a single mother with a British accent who loves numbers, Marianne Lake bears little resemblance to Jamie Dimon, the longtime chief executive of JPMorgan Chase & Co, known for his bravado, quips and occasional profanity-laced outbursts.

Yet Lake has emerged as a front-runner to replace Dimon when he eventually retires, Reuters interviews with more than a dozen current and former executives show.

Over her nearly six years as JPMorgan’s chief financial officer Lake, 49, has taken on more and more responsibilities effectively becoming Dimon’s understudy. She helps develop strategies for each of the bank’s business units and oversees matters ranging from its annual stress test to employee cafeterias. Largely unknown outside JPMorgan when named CFO in 2012, Lake has worked in both the wholesale and retail businesses during 19 years there. “She has been all over,” Dimon, 62, said in an interview, describing Lake as an “extraordinarily talented executive.” “She has all of the qualities of a great leader,” he said. Those include being demanding, drawing information out of people and recognizing talent within the 15,000 people she oversees. Dimon said she also challenges him when she believes he is wrong.

Lake, who also spoke to Reuters, said she wanted to broaden her skillset in her next job and has made her ambitions clear to the board chaired by Dimon. She declined to predict whether she will be the next CEO. “I want to be at this company 10 years from now and I will be quite open-minded about what the next step could look like,” she said. “I have told the board that I want to be here for the long-term.” Dimon has been CEO for nearly 13 years, the longest tenure among major US banks. He is a larger-than-life figure who steered JPMorgan through the financial crisis and regularly stands up to regulators and politicians. The question of who could succeed him has captivated Wall Street for years. Lake’s standing has risen as other CEO candidates have left JPMorgan after growing impatient or getting on Dimon’s wrong side, executives said. “I would put my money on her above anybody else,” said one longtime JPMorgan executive who spoke on the condition of anonymity. “She knows the bank extremely well, with her role spanning all of our businesses and functions,” said Gordon Smith, co-president of the company and chief executive of JPMorgan’s consumer bank. Dimon, who has said he will step down in about five years, would not discuss Lake’s chances. It is the board’s choice, and there are other people who could also run the company, he said. And, Dimon cautioned, “Things change...Everybody changes.”