This episode focuses on the heart of workplace culture—mentorship, community and leadership. Host Lisa Davis, Managing Director, Digital & Design Head of Commercialization at J.P. Morgan Payments, welcomes Jonelle Robinson, Executive Director in Financial Institution (FIG) Sales, J.P. Morgan Payments, to discuss her career journey, the importance of mentorship and the power of community in professional growth. Tune in for a conversation about how building strong networks can shape careers and create new opportunities. Subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your favorite platform to stay updated! Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of J.P. Morgan, its affiliates, or its employees. The information set forth herein has been obtained or derived from sources believed to be reliable. Neither the author nor J.P. Morgan makes any representations or warranties as to the information’s accuracy or completeness. The information contained herein has been provided solely for informational purposes and does not constitute an offer, solicitation, advice or recommendation, to make any investment decisions or purchase any financial instruments, and may not be construed as such. © 2025 JPMorgan Chase & Co. All Rights Reserved. Additional Resources: [https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-davis-5b8b9132/](https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-davis-5b8b9132/)
This episode focuses on the heart of workplace culture—mentorship, community and leadership. Host Lisa Davis, Managing Director, Digital & Design Head of Commercialization at J.P. Morgan Payments, welcomes Jonelle Robinson, Executive Director in Financial Institution (FIG) Sales, J.P. Morgan Payments, to discuss her career journey, the importance of mentorship and the power of community in professional growth. Tune in for a conversation about how building strong networks can shape careers and create new opportunities. Subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your favorite platform to stay updated!
Disclaimer:
The views and opinions expressed herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of J.P. Morgan, its affiliates, or its employees. The information set forth herein has been obtained or derived from sources believed to be reliable. Neither the author nor J.P. Morgan makes any representations or warranties as to the information’s accuracy or completeness. The information contained herein has been provided solely for informational purposes and does not constitute an offer, solicitation, advice or recommendation, to make any investment decisions or purchase any financial instruments, and may not be construed as such.
© 2025 JPMorgan Chase & Co. All Rights Reserved.
Additional Resources:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-davis-5b8b9132/
Narrator (00:02):
Welcome to Pay It Forward, a podcast by J.P. Morgan Payments for J.P. Morgan Payments. Get to know our business and gain a better understanding of where we sit at the intersection of technology and finance. Did you know we move nearly $10 trillion globally each day through over 170 countries and 120 currencies at more than 5,000 transactions per second? Join us as we take you inside the stories, technology, and people that make it all happen.
Lisa Davis (00:39):
Hi, everyone. My name is Lisa Davis, and in our first two episodes, we focused more on the business. Today, we're going to focus on culture. As part of culture, we'll talk a little bit about mentorship and advocacy and leadership, and what are some of those opportunities within that for growth and success. To do that, I have joining me today, my longtime colleague, Jonelle Robinson, who I met I think almost my first day starting here at J.P. Morgan. Jonelle, welcome and it's so great to have you here.
Jonelle Robinson (01:14):
Let's get into it.
Lisa Davis (01:16):
Why don't we kick things off by telling a little bit about your background and your journey here at J.P. Morgan. Before I forget, I would be remiss if I did not congratulate you on your recent promotion to executive director, so congratulations again. Very well deserved. Tell us a little bit about yourself and your journey.
Jonelle Robinson (01:38):
I've been at J.P. Morgan for more than 20 years. I joined in my 20s. I'm an immigrant from Guyana, so I joined almost as soon as I got to the United States. I have to tell you, one of the things that I noticed immediately upon joining is this culture of cultivating talent and people wrapping their arms around you and wanting to help you and wanting to be that lead. I started at J.P. Morgan in credit cards, and just by happenstance, just joining a BRG, happened to learn about a new opportunity within treasury services. That's where my career actually started.
(02:21):
I had quite a few roles within the organization, and like you said, most recently, I was promoted to executive director. So, it's been quite a journey. I would say one of the many things that keeps me going is my discipline and tenacity and my keenness and continuously learning something new and having various experiences. I think J.P. Morgan is one of those places where you can have those experiences, because we're so huge, we're so broad. It's such a vast organization. And once you put yourself out there, you can pretty much do anything. I think anyone that's been at J.P. Morgan for a while can attest to that, having those opportunities.
Lisa Davis (03:03):
There's a lot of truth to that. I feel the same way. I also feel like having those things built in on your own and being able to have, as you said, that tenacity and really to look forward to accomplishing different things, new challenges, all of that's available here at J.P. Morgan. No doubt. But one of the things that I think goes along with that is how other people help you throughout that journey. And when we talk about things like having a mentor, for example, how important is having someone to help and to mentor you through those times that you may have difficulty maybe figuring something out or maybe navigating something.
(03:48):
You and I, as I said, we've had a number of interactions and we've gotten very close over the years, both as mentoring each other throughout the process. Help our audience to appreciate just the importance of having a mentor and being a mentor, because we always want to be able to pay things forward. So, talk a little bit about that from your perspective.
Jonelle Robinson (04:12):
Can I tell you a really quick story of what propelled me to where I am today?
Lisa Davis (04:17):
Mm-hmm.
Jonelle Robinson (04:17):
When I first began at J.P. Morgan, I think it was about a year and a half after, someone invited me to a BOLD event.
Lisa Davis (04:26):
Can you just help our audience to appreciate what BOLD stands for?
Jonelle Robinson (04:30):
Yes, absolutely. That's our Black Organisation Leadership Development programme at J.P. Morgan, where we collaborate and interact with our Black employees at J.P. Morgan to ensure that we're opening up opportunities, we're having discussions about different things that are going on with J.P. Morgan, at J.P. Morgan for that matter, and ensuring that this particular group of employees are well taken care of and having a feeling of belonging.
Lisa Davis (04:58):
Okay. Very good.
Jonelle Robinson (04:59):
Yeah. I attended a BOLD event and met someone, and we had a conversation for probably about 15 to 20 minutes, different things. So, what have I done, and the normal networking conversation. Two weeks later, I was called for an interview, and I'm sitting in the conference room waiting for the interviewer to enter the room. Guess who enters the room? The same person that I was speaking to at the BOLD event, like, "Okay. This is unbelievable."
(05:29):
So, we just continued the conversation, and she said to me, "Okay. Here's the deal. I really like you. I like you from the first time we met. You're easy to talk to. I can see that you have great potential, but here's the thing about this job. I'm willing to offer you this job. However, it's moving to Tampa, Florida in two years. And in order for me to offer you this job, you have to agree to move to Tampa in two years." Mind you, this was not that long after me coming to the United States. So I said, "Okay. Absolutely. Challenge accepted."
Lisa Davis (06:06):
You just jump right in, right?
Jonelle Robinson (06:07):
Right in. Jump right in. I've never been to Florida, but jump right in. Two years rolled around, you know how time goes by really fast, and it was time for me to move to Tampa. I have to tell you, I was terrified. I moved to Tampa, there were hundreds of people that moved to Tampa. I was one of the people that J.P. Morgan kept extending my time and giving me new opportunities. Opportunities to learn new things, have different experiences.
(06:38):
I tell this story because it is so important to go out there, put yourself out there, meet people, have different experiences, because you never know who you'll meet. You never know what experience you'll have and where you'll find an opportunity, really. So, that's the part of speaking to someone and putting yourself out there and having a mentor and someone to be able to speak on your behalf.
(07:02):
I think for me, it is super, super important to be able to pay forward. So, I'm always looking for those opportunities to help someone, whether it's in my day-to-day when I'm speaking to my colleagues, or I'm at an event, or I'm even in the cafeteria, just saying hello to someone, introducing myself to someone new that I haven't met before or I haven't interacted with before. Yes, that relationship, mentee-mentor relationship, it's very important, and I can speak to the benefits of both sides of that equation.
Lisa Davis (07:39):
I know you drum them off the drop when this person walked in the room, but that's a real life situation, and those things, they do happen. To your point, one of the benefits of being engaged, being involved and getting outside of your comfort zone, just what you do from day-to-day. You mentioned earlier, these business resource groups, the company has several of them. You don't have to, let's say, be a Black person to be a part of BOLD, right?
Jonelle Robinson (08:06):
300%.
Lisa Davis (08:07):
So many people that are involved in these different affinities, they use it as a way to educate themselves about other people and other backgrounds and what people are going through. It just helps you become an all-around person and it makes you much more approachable, but it also gives you an understanding of what are some of the other challenges that people face, that you may not know on the surface.
Jonelle Robinson (08:33):
Exactly. And finding that community or support. I know a lot of people that have transferred from different countries and found community in our BRG groups at J.P. Morgan, so they're all fantastic.
Lisa Davis (08:46):
I fully agree and support. It's a way, especially if you're new to the organisation, maybe just coming out of college, maybe you're an analyst, you're just getting started. It's a great way to meet new people. You may even get a mentor out of it, start a mentor-mentee relationship, and it just helps you as you navigate this vast organisation. It's a huge company. You don't just get it overnight.
(09:11):
I remember one of the things that I was asked to do a few years ago now, and I'm actually still engaged, is to chair a program called the Black Advocacy Programme. We call it BAP or B-A-P. Actually, you were one of the first people that opted in to this advocacy program. Switching a little bit in terms of gears, we talked a little bit about a mentor-mentee, mentors, someone that can help you through certain obstacles, maybe help you navigate decisions, maybe help with career choices, and also, you should be able to help the mentor as well.
(09:48):
And then, as you've been mentored, you might take on a role of being a mentee over time. But having an advocate is slightly different than a mentor-mentee relationship. Since you've been part of the Black Advocacy Programme, I could tell everyone what it's about, but just from a person who actually was benefiting from the program itself, would love for you to give the audience a flavour of what the Black Advocacy Programme was for you, what it meant. How is advocacy different from mentorship?
Jonelle Robinson (10:23):
It's been tremendous. I'm not going to name names here, but it's been tremendous. My mentee that I've been matched with, she has been my biggest champion in the last two years, I would say. Advocating on my behalf, speaking up on my behalf, giving me those pointers. Because, look, we all have blind spots, and pointing out those blind spots where I may be going off on something and she's like, "Wait, wait, wait. But have you thought about this? Have you thought about that? Have you considered this?" So, I think we need those sounding boards, I would say, in our corner, especially in such a vast organization when you're dealing with so much.
(11:04):
So, I think it's really, really important for everyone. It doesn't have to be something official. It could be unofficial, but I think it's really important to have that sounding board and to be able to have that one-on-one candid conversation with someone on a regular basis, like, "Okay. Here's how I'm thinking about this. What do you think about X or Z or Y? Why do you think I should do this as opposed to that? Or do you think I'm heading in the right direction? Is this something you can assist me with?"
(11:37):
These conversations, while it's a mentorship program, like you said, it's a two-way street because there are days when we came into a session and I can tell that something is wrong. I'm like, "What's going on?" And she's like, "Oh, such and such happened." And I'm like, "Oh, well, why don't you try this? Why don't you try that?" And she's like, "Oh, I've never thought about it." Just having those conversations, because I do believe that mentorship is definitely a two-way street. For me, having that professional and personal at sometimes sounding board has helped tremendously.
Lisa Davis (12:11):
Would you say that having that person be an advocate for you, because really the purpose of having an advocate besides being a sounding board and being able to help with navigation, and one of the things that we expect advocates to do is to be able to open up their network to the person that they're mentoring.
(12:31):
Not just that, but also helping with, what I call, a three-legged stool, the relationship between the person's manager, the advocate, and the individual to help frame out a path forward, or how do we get to the next level, or what's the next best step for this person to take. That advocate should be able to represent you in the room when you're not there, because the expectation is that the advocate would have means and network that could be opened up to you on your behalf that you may not have had otherwise. Did you find that to be the case with your advocate as well?
Jonelle Robinson (13:10):
Yes, absolutely. It's funny how when my advocate had a conversation with my manager about me, and her perception after meeting me and my manager's perception, it was the exact same and in agreement that, yes, this is who Jonelle is, this is the direction I see her going, these are the things that she's doing really well, here are the things that we're working on. There was no disagreement, like you said. So, I have very good awareness on what my blind spots are and things that I need to improve on and the things that I'm really great at. There's no disputing that.
Lisa Davis (13:52):
That's actually good.
Jonelle Robinson (13:52):
I know what I know, and I will tell you what I don't know. Yeah, we're in agreement. I think sometimes we tend to shy away from our weaknesses, and I think the thing to do in those moments is own it, and say, "Okay. Here are the steps that I'm taking to improve." So, that was one of the things that I think she found it a bit surprising that, yes, we were all on the same page, and here's what my strengths are and here's what my weaknesses are and how I'm moving forward on that.
(14:20):
And yes, speaking of opening her network to me, absolutely. There are so many people that I've met in the organization that I probably on my own would not have encountered if it had not been for my connection to her. Because like you said, J.P. Morgan is a huge, huge organization.
Lisa Davis (14:39):
Would you say that J.P. Morgan is a place that is set apart from others in terms of the types of opportunities that you might have to get involved in things and really make a difference?
Jonelle Robinson (14:51):
I think J.P. Morgan is absolutely a place where there's opportunities for you to get involved and make a difference. Because like you said, first of all, we have all of these different BRGs that people can get involved in. From the time of onboarding at J.P. Morgan as a new employee there, all of these different business units that are constantly encouraging employees to get involved, get to know your colleagues and your teammates around you.
(15:21):
There is this program called Ten Thousand Coffees, Where you go and you sign up and you're constantly being matched with people that are matched with you and match with your interests. It's a really neat way of meeting people that you would not otherwise encounter. So, there are definitely a number of ways that you can get involved at J.P. Morgan.
Lisa Davis (15:42):
Yeah. I like the Ten Thousand Coffees as well. I'm always getting matched up, and it's so funny how accurate the program is, because it actually does really match you with people somewhere along the line, like you have an interest in something or things in common, or it's just matching really well. So, really good use of AI, I think.
Jonelle Robinson (16:02):
It's spot on. Can I tell you one time I met someone for coffee, and she ended up encouraging me, because she'd just come back from a hike, and I'm like, "Are you kidding me? I don't know what I want do." She's like, "No, you have to do it. You have to do it." Last summer, my husband and I hiked [inaudible 00:16:21]. It was an unbelievable experience.
Lisa Davis (16:24):
Really?
Jonelle Robinson (16:24):
I got to Utah and I was like, "Okay. I already knew that I was hiking one day and I was going to be done with that." I hiked for the entire five days that we were there every single day.
Lisa Davis (16:34):
Really? That is fantastic. That's awesome.
Jonelle Robinson (16:37):
So fun.
Lisa Davis (16:38):
Yes. You're piquing my curiosity there, because I've never hiked either. I don't know, just a girl from Brooklyn, I have no interest in hiking. I don't even know a thing [inaudible 00:16:47] that long feels like, but that is really interesting. And you would have never-
Jonelle Robinson (16:51):
I would have never.
Lisa Davis (16:52):
But you thought about having that kind of an interest had you not opened yourself up to meeting other people and broadening your network. Switching gears a little bit, through all of these interactions and engagements, which are fantastic by the way, have you received any nuggets, I would say, or advice from people along the way that you thought was really spot on and you carry it with you that you'd like to share maybe?
Jonelle Robinson (17:19):
One of the things that I would mention is an article that one of my colleagues wrote about 10 years ago or so, Lisa, on our homepage. We have different writers at J.P. Morgan who writes articles on our homepage. It was about empathy. It was life-changing for me, because it was not something that I'd ever thought about. Awareness. And not only awareness of self, awareness of others, awareness of the room, being able to read the room, being able to pull back for the sake of the conversation. Forget about wrong or right, but just be aware, and how do we ensure that we still get out of here even though we may disagree, but agree to disagree, and having that sense of awareness.
(18:09):
That was life-changing for me in the way I interact personally, professionally, and just how I took care of myself and being aware. I met her in person I think about a year ago, and I reminded her of that article, and she was just floored that someone even remembered that she even wrote that article and how it fundamentally changed how I move and how I operate in this environment. That was pretty life-changing for me.
(18:44):
And then, I think one of my managers in my earlier years, she taught me discipline. How to be disciplined in everything that I do, and how to be intentional, and how to move with intent. For example, thinking about a new opportunity, not just thinking about maybe I should find another job. What is the next experience you want to have? What are the skills that you're missing? What do you want to learn going forward? What can you bring to this opportunity? How, in another four or five years or whatever the timeframe may be, this thing that you're about to start, how do you intend to leave it better than you found it? Yes, those two things, that article on empathy and how you navigate in that self-awareness and just the discipline.
Lisa Davis (19:36):
Yeah, I like that. Empathy is so important. It's one of the principles that I run my life by is having empathy and working on my EQ. Just being aware of your surroundings and other people in your surroundings, the impact that you have, how you make them feel. Maya Angelou said, "People may not remember so much what you say, but they'll always remember how you made them feel." At the end of the day, like you, I've had a couple of advocates and mentors throughout my career, and I try to take something away from each of those relationships as well as I try to leave something in each of those relationships.
(20:15):
I had an advocate early on who is still an advocate for me. He's been my manager a few times, and still is my manager even to this day. I remember when I first went to work for him and became my advocate very quickly, very shortly into our working relationship. One of the things that he said to me, which stuck with me throughout my career was that I'd had asked for a bigger role or to take on more responsibility, and I had to explain to him why I thought I was the person for that role and why me now, like the questions you have to answer.
Jonelle Robinson (20:51):
Yeah.
Lisa Davis (20:51):
Why now? At the end of everything that I said, he said, "Well, I just have one piece of advice for you, you better make a name for yourself. When you're doing something, whatever it is that you do, make a name for yourself." It was so simple.
Jonelle Robinson (21:05):
That's true advice.
Lisa Davis (21:06):
The advice, but then it just stuck with me and it made me really work hard at what I was trying to achieve, both for myself and for him, because I had another mentor who once told me that you should always think of your job as making your manager look good as well. So, that should also motivate you.
(21:26):
I had another person, it wasn't a mentor-mentor relationship, but it could have been. I was doing my MBA at night, and I had one time a professor that said to me, "The most important thing that you should remember as you go through this journey is two things. One, always be present. Whatever you're doing, just be present as you're doing it. Be here now." We all hear that. Be present, be here now. And it's something that we don't do very well with all the electronic devices that we have,
Jonelle Robinson (21:56):
100%.
Lisa Davis (21:57):
We're never present for anything. But I try to stop and remember that. Be present. If you're giving a presentation, be present. If you're in a meeting, be present. If you're having a conversation with someone, no matter how big or small that conversation might be, be present. Be in the moment.
Jonelle Robinson (22:15):
That is great advice.
Lisa Davis (22:16):
People realize that and they know that, and you give more of yourself. And then, bringing it back around full circle, someone said to me that there are times in life that you may not be able to change a person's attitude or how they innately feel about something, but you can change their actions based on what you do. So, I kind of pieced all those things together, and I used those to manage my life, but it was tidbits of snippets of things that I've taken from people who have impacted my life along the way.
Jonelle Robinson (22:48):
That's the thing about this journey, and particularly your professional journey in being in an organisation so diverse and so vast as J.P. Morgan, because you get to meet all these different people from all walks of life, who bring so many different things to you and make you aware of so many different things.
(23:07):
Someone said, "Feedback is a gift," because think about it, the only people that truly give you feedback is, whether you like it or not, it doesn't matter how harsh it is at the time or whatever, it's actually someone that cares about you deeply, regardless of how it may come across. Because someone that does not care about you, they will just let you go. It doesn't feel very good sometimes, but think about it and give it a thought. There's always something that you can do. There's always something that you can do better. And that's part of the reason why I am still here.
(23:42):
I remember so vividly my first day at J.P. Morgan. We still have these huge paper timesheet things where everyone's start date was on this timesheet. I remember seeing someone's start date that said 1976. I'm like, "What is the matter with you? Why are you still here?" 20 years later, look at me, right?
Lisa Davis (24:05):
I know.
Jonelle Robinson (24:06):
I have had and continue to have an amazing experience at J.P. Morgan.
Lisa Davis (24:11):
[inaudible 00:24:12].
Jonelle Robinson (24:12):
But in spite of everything, the highs and lows and everything in between, because there's something to learn along the way, every single day, in whatever it is. It's only there to make you better.
Lisa Davis (24:25):
It's been so fantastic talking to you about your journey, the impact of having mentors and advocates, and also the fact that you've done that as well. You've given back in so many ways, and we thank you for that. But I would be remiss if I did not ask this one last question, and that is, tell us a fun fact about you that people wouldn't guess that they don't know. Maybe something that's not on your LinkedIn profile. What fun fact about you do you want to share with us?
Jonelle Robinson (24:52):
I am a karaoke master. I love it. So, anyone that thinks that they can beat me, it's on.
Lisa Davis (24:59):
I love it. A fun fact about me, when I'm not here spending my time at J.P. Morgan is that I like to DJ.
Jonelle Robinson (25:06):
I love that.
Lisa Davis (25:08):
In fact, I've been a DJ for many years. Yeah, spinning records at nightclubs when I was younger, and that's my passion. It's been fantastic hearing your story, getting the insights and getting your experience, and we thank you so much for being with us here today. To our listeners, we hope that today's conversation inspires you to explore how you can foster meaningful connections and make a difference in your own career, as well as maybe make a difference in someone else's life and in their career.
Jonelle Robinson (25:42):
Thanks, Lisa.
Narrator (25:44):
Thank you for tuning in to Pay It Forward, a podcast by J.P. Morgan Payments for J.P. Morgan Payments. Stay up to date on the latest stories, technology, and people powering payments by subscribing on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform. Keep pushing boundaries, and we'll keep moving the payments world forward one transaction at a time.