Jonathan Conner is the head of the Middle East at JP Morgan Private Bank. The 48-year-old American, who began his career with JP Morgan in 1988, lives in Geneva with his wife and three sons. He previously lived in Bahrain for four years.
What are your favourite things to do on the weekend?
Depending on the season, I like to strike a work-life balance by cycling, skiing, playing tennis and swimming. My wife and three sons participate in all of these, except cycling. In addition, I attend my kids’ sporting events on weekends. Having lived in Geneva for almost six years, we have tried to use long weekends to visit European cities with our kids to learn more about the history of these cities, with Paris, Florence, Berlin and Barcelona being some of our favourites. Lastly, we have met and made many friends here in Geneva and having a group of friends and their kids over for dinner on our patio has become a nice routine.
What do you consider to be your favourite hobby?
It is hard to pick one. I have a few sports I like to do each season. To keep myself challenged, I have set a few goals with these activities, such as participating in the annual Cyclotour du Leman, a 180-kilometre cycling race around Lake Geneva each May. Next year I plan to do the Haute Route, a seven-day backcountry ski tour from Chamonix to Zermatt.
What can’t you live without?
Probably my iPad. I have two older sons who attend boarding school in the United States, so staying connected with them by FaceTime, messenger and email is very important. I also travel extensively to the Arabian Gulf, so being able to be in touch with family in Switzerland and the US by 21st-century technology keeps me connected.
What do you consider the secret to your success?
Loving what I do. I often say to my kids and to people on my team, you will be successful in school or a career as long as you love what you do. I started in private banking in 2000 and found that what were initially business relationships have become personal relationships, which make your job less of a “job”. If you don’t love what you are doing, find something new.
What advice would you offer others starting out in your business?
Starting at a firm with a strong training programme and some form of apprenticeship is very important. The wealth-management business has become more complex over the past decade, so having a solid training programme that teaches the basics of the major asset classes, macroeconomics, credit, trust & estates, portfolio construction and suitability is critical. Also, finding a mentor to help one navigate a large organisation and provide career advice is important.
How do you achieve a work-life balance?
I often joke at work that I have two families – my biological family and my JP Morgan family, as I spend about equal time with both. As such, I do try to get home at least once or twice a week to have dinner with my family. It also means attending children’s sports events in the evening or on weekends. I also spend most school holidays with my sons who attend US boarding school, either at home, skiing or at our family summer cottage on Nantucket in Massachusetts. A small trick is to book family commitments in your calendar so the times cannot be taken by work meetings or travel. Getting in physical activity is important to me and my health. For example, every Friday I swim 1.5km during lunch, either indoors or outdoors. I also try to do the same during one weekend day. I carry a swimsuit and goggles with me wherever I go and try to get a swim in during business trips and holidays.
If you weren’t the head of JP Morgan Private Bank for the Middle East, what else would you be doing?
I would like to teach someday. There is only so much one can learn from a textbook, so I would like to use my experience to teach in a classroom. I have also lost close family members to cancer and would like to work on raising awareness and raising funds to find a cure for cancer.
halsayegh@thenational.ae
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