Get to know Kiley Baker, Market Team Lead in Raleigh

Q&A

What’s your background?

I’m I’m a North Carolina native and proud graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. I joined J.P. Morgan Private Bank as an Associate Banker out of my MBA program at the University of Texas at Austin. Prior to business school, I taught English abroad in Rome and first worked in healthcare consulting.

Throughout my career at J.P. Morgan Private Bank, I’ve had the privilege of advising ultra-high-net-worth families—first on the Financial Intuitions Group in New York City and then in Denver, Colorado, where I built a vertical focus around the Innovation Economy, advising tech and life sciences founders and entrepreneurs on their personal wealth management needs. These experiences have reinforced my belief that Private Banking is about more than wealth management. It’s about understanding people, earning their trust and helping accomplish what matters most to them.

I now reside in Raleigh with my husband and two children. Outside of the office, I’m an avid wine enthusiast and travel aficionado.

You started your career in Atlanta and later worked in New York City and Denver. What drew you to Raleigh?

I grew up in North Carolina and attended college there. Although I’ve been absent for more than two decades, the opportunity to build a new office in my home state for a global institution like J.P. Morgan was a dream come true. As most of my family lives in the state, being there gives my young children the chance to grow up close to their grandparents and cousins.

How would your colleagues describe you?

I’m often told I have an infectious laugh. It’s hard to know how people perceive you, but I hope they think of me as a great partner and someone who strives to bring excellence to work every day.

Describe your leadership style.

I believe the best teams are built on trust, collaboration and a shared commitment to excellence. Those qualities drive my leadership style. I want the people around me to feel empowered to take ownership, to have fun together, and to want to win and work hard.

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

While not intended as “career advice,” my parents taught me something important that has guided how I approach my career: Always choose kindness. How you treat people along the way matters more than what you accomplish, and this has been a North Star for me.

What do you hope to accomplish in your first year?

Right now, I’m hyperfocused on building our team, which has more than doubled in size in my first six months. Our office opened in December 2024 with two bankers. By December 2026, our team will include nine bankers, two analysts and me! I’m really proud of that progress, but there is more to do.

Equally important is deepening our roots in the Triangle community. While J.P. Morgan has been serving clients in this region for decades, our physical presence here is new. I see that as an exciting opportunity to engage with people and organizations shaping the region and to establish ourselves as a committed community partner. So, for me, success in my first year means becoming even more integrated in the fabric of the community and laying the foundation for relationships that will benefit us for decades.

What cities or parts of North Carolina does the Raleigh office cover?

Our Raleigh office is part of the broader Carolinas team, with our main office in Charlotte. Our Raleigh team is focused on working with families in the Triangle, defined as Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill as well as eastern North Carolina, which includes Wilmington and the North Carolina coast.

What types of clients do you and your team work with?

The Raleigh wealth map is exciting. The area is known for innovation, and many of our clients are founders and executives of high-growth, venture capital-backed companies in tech and healthcare. However, there’s also significant investment in more traditional manufacturing and industrials businesses, given increasing private equity interest in this area. Our clients often look to the Private Bank to provide our full suite of resources, including taking discretion on managing their investment portfolios, alongside our banking and lending offering. We have a local trust officer in Raleigh with us, which may increase our corporate trustee business over time.

What’s one thing about J.P. Morgan Private Bank in Raleigh that most people don’t know?

That we have the most beautiful Client Center in the Private Bank.

Tell us about the growth happening across the Triangle. How has the region evolved over the last five or 10 years?

Fortunately, growth in our market has continued to accelerate post-COVID and is showing few signs of slowing down. The region has truly transformed over the past decade. Previously, the Triangle was primarily known for its universities and being a hub for state government; now the area has become a dynamic center for innovation, entrepreneurship and business growth. We’re seeing great momentum across life sciences, technology, healthcare and advanced manufacturing. With the mild climate and attractive cost of living, our growth is attracting talent, and wealth creation is growing more quickly here than in many parts of the country. Having grown up in North Carolina, it’s really exciting to see the scale of opportunity, and it feels like we are in the early chapters of this region’s growth story.

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

My husband and I enjoy playing tennis together, and we also love going on adventures with our little family. There is nothing better than showing the world to a five- and three-year-old! Like many, I’ve caught the mahjong bug, and I’m an avid wine lover and will jump at any opportunity to learn something new about wine.

What is one fun fact about you?

After college, I purchased a one-way ticket to Rome, where I earned my Teaching English as a Foreign Language certification and taught business English at Enel, Italy's largest utility company. I lived in an apartment tucked just behind the Vatican and fully embraced la dolce vita, enjoying pasta daily and more espresso than I could count on both hands.