Get to know John Lowenberg, Market Team Lead in Palo Alto

Q&A

Tell us your background.

Over twenty years as a placement agent, I raised substantial institutional capital, helped build investment firms of lasting stature and cultivated relationships with investors that have endured. That experience has given me a deep command of both hedge funds and private equity together with leadership in new-product research and development. What I value most are the talented teams I have coached and mentored, the extensive network I have built across the investor community and the efficiencies and growth that have followed from systems and processes of my own design.

How would your colleagues describe you?

My colleagues would describe me as approachable and consistent, open-minded, driven, curious and kind.

Describe your leadership style.

I lead as a hands-on, collaborative manager, staying close to the work so I have a clear, accurate view of what’s happening and can help the team deliver consistently. For the meetings that matter most, I’m closely involved in preparation, present where helpful and focused on follow-through afterward.

My priority is to ensure we understand challenges clearly and use our time together to drive toward clear decisions and next steps, not just discussion. Good judgment under pressure is part of the job and we approach challenges with empathy: understanding what you’re trying to protect and achieve while giving candid advice grounded in your best interests and the realities of execution.

We hold ourselves accountable and address gaps quickly and constructively. The goal is a team that communicates clearly, operates with confidence and consistently delivers for clients, whatever the situation or need.

What’s the best piece of career advice you were ever given?

Stay humble. Hustle. Model success. Study industry leaders. Innovation occurs when you build upon what’s already there.

What excites you most about joining J.P. Morgan Private Bank?

It feels like being drafted by the Yankees in a golden era. Every person I have met at J.P. Morgan has been first-rate, serious about the work and serious about the clients. That is the draw: a chance to play on a team that already knows what excellence looks like.

What do you hope to accomplish in your first year?

My goals for the first year are to learn the business and the people, create a shared narrative with a few priorities and deliver early wins while increasing the team’s slugging percentage. I also plan to hire five exceptional candidates who fit the culture of the Private Bank in Silicon Valley. By the end of year one, I want people to say: we understand where we are going, we trust the team and the business is sharper than when I arrived.

What do you love most about working with clients in Palo Alto and Silicon Valley?

I love that in Silicon Valley, talent matters more than pedigree. Failure is not shame but tuition. The Valley exudes a feeling of possibility. The density of ambition, capital and talent is unrivaled.

With tech IPOs, so many coming out of Northern California, reshaping the investment landscape, how are you seeing clients approach this environment?

As Silicon Valley prepares for listings of historic scale, founders will remain rightly focused on the businesses they have built. It falls to us to counsel them with equal care: financing against concentrated holdings, structuring trusts and reducing the risks that follow an IPO.

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

I enjoy golfing, hiking, working out, skiing, traveling, trying new restaurants and spending time with my wife, daughters and good friends.

What is one fun fact about you?

Growing up, I always dreamt of being a race car driver.