Stacey Martin

What was your route to the top? One of my first jobs was working for Senator Dianne Feinstein. I interned for her while I was in college, then worked on the Hill before going to law school. After graduating law school, I clerked for the Honorable Gary L. Taylor, United States District Court, Central District of California. I practiced at Sullivan & Cromwell, where I was elected partner. Over the years, I focused on complex commercial litigation including securities, class action, derivatives, bankruptcy, antitrust and employment matters. While still at Sullivan & Cromwell, I spent a year working with JPMorgan Chase fulltime as one of the principal architects of the bank's mortgage-backed securities litigation defense. I also served as a key advisor to the firm in its acquisition of assets from Washington Mutual in 2008. In 2012, I joined JPMorgan as the General Counsel for its Corporate & Investment Bank. And in 2015, I became General Counsel of JPMorgan Chase & Co. and joined the firm's Operating Committee.

What is the best leadership advice you provided, or received, and why do you think it was effective? As the challenges get more complex, it's critical that you listen even more closely. I see it on display all the time with strong, successful leaders. They ask for (and listen to) ideas on what can be improved or where the team is headed in the wrong direction. They ask what they can do better and what the team could do differently. Successful leaders talk openly about mistakes they've made and drive home the point that, particularly if you're going to innovate, you have to be willing to fail—just fail fast, learn and move forward. Successful leaders find ways to use these tools to empower successful teams.

Looking back, what do you wish you had known when you started out in the legal profession? I wish I knew earlier in my career that you have to protect what's precious. There are a thousand things that will pull on your time that seem urgent, essential and important. You will often feel indispensable. But you have to decide for yourself what's precious and you have to protect it. If you don't, you'll wake up in 30 years and be disappointed. To be clear, everyone will define what's precious to them differently—for some people that's French lessons on a Wednesday, for some it's having breakfast with your family, for others, like myself, it's being home Friday evenings with pizza and a movie with my kids. You have to define what's precious—and you should never compromise on those things.

What is the most valuable career advice anyone has ever given you? Be willing to take risks and have initiative when it comes to your career. I wouldn't be where I am today if I had followed a traditional linear path; I ended up here by saying “yes” to interesting work, challenging opportunities and mentors that I trusted.