Jamie Dimon wants to hire.
The JPMorgan Chase CEO has put out an open call for star bankers, investors, and industry specialists to join his firm’s sweeping $1.5 trillion “Security and Resiliency Initiative.”
“If you think you’re the right person, just give us a call,” Dimon said Monday morning during a press briefing. He added that the firm intends to hire a “top-notch investment team” to manage $10 billion of JPMorgan’s own capital earmarked for equity and venture-style investments in critical U.S. industries.
“We’re very focused on people,” Dimon emphasized, underscoring that talent recruitment will be central to the bank’s effort to “bolster American security, innovation, and infrastructure” through private-sector financing rather than government funding.
The initiative one of JPMorgan’s most ambitious in recent years will prioritize four major sectors: defense and aerospace, frontier technologies (including AI and quantum computing), energy technology and independence, and advanced manufacturing and supply chains.
Building a team for America’s future
Dimon said the hiring push will be led by Mary Erdoes, CEO of asset and wealth management, and Doug Petno, co-CEO of the commercial and investment bank. While he didn’t disclose a specific headcount goal, he noted that the bank is committed to recruiting top-tier talent from inside and outside the company.
“Some may come from inside. Some may be hired outside. But they’re going to be your top bankers working not just with the best companies in the world, but with governments around the world,” Dimon said.
Petno elaborated that JPMorgan will build a new investment team from the ground up to manage the initiative’s $10 billion capital commitment. “There will be specialized experts that understand the 27 subsectors,” he said, referring to industries such as secure communications, battery storage, nuclear energy, robotics, and shipbuilding.
He added that the bank’s approach will blend traditional financing with new structures designed to help companies innovate and expand manufacturing capacity. “That’s a de novo build,” Petno explained, describing a fresh operational model that starts from zero.
A Wall Street hiring spark
The recruitment drive comes at a time when Wall Street hiring remains below pre-pandemic levels. While JPMorgan’s push may not singlehandedly reverse that trend, analysts say it could reinvigorate hiring in areas like clean energy, cybersecurity, and frontier technologies industries increasingly viewed as vital to U.S. economic resilience and national security.
JPMorgan currently employs over 300,000 people worldwide, making it the largest U.S. bank by both assets and workforce. Dimon, who has often used his position to shape public policy discussions, said the goal of this initiative is to restore America’s edge in critical industries and reduce dependence on foreign suppliers.
Wall Street’s renewed confidence
Analysts say Dimon’s $1.5 trillion bet reflects a deep confidence in the strength of the U.S. economy and the private sector’s ability to drive growth in strategic areas.
“It’s a very strong, positive signal that Jamie Dimon, as the head of one of the largest banks in the world, is willing to aggressively participate in financing these types of businesses,” said Brian Mulberry, senior client portfolio manager at Zacks Investment Management.
“This is the private market, Wall Street, stepping in and saying, ‘We see the future being so profitable and so good, we are confident and comfortable providing the private financing,’” Mulberry added.
For Dimon, the initiative also carries a patriotic tone a long-term commitment to ensuring America’s leadership in innovation and security, while inviting some of the brightest minds in finance and technology to join him in building it.
