The reasons why people return to JPMorgan Chase are just as diverse as their reasons for leaving. Lucien Chua, who rejoined the firm in January 2023 shares his experience.
How does your current role differ from your previous role at JPMorgan Chase?
Previously, I was the Asia Pacific Lead for the Global Intelligence team within Global Security. In that role, I focused on providing intelligence, risk analysis and assessments to help the operational teams safeguard the firm. In my new role as the APAC Head of Resilience Testing, I will be focusing more on the firm's operational resiliency and will be partnering with different teams.
Is the grass always greener on the other side?
The pasture is different on the other side. For me, the move made me realize how much I enjoyed J.P. Morgan's organized structure and people-centric culture. This is one of the key drivers of my decision to come back. It really depends on an individual’s values and drivers—in my case the grass wasn’t greener on the other side.
Did you explore all possibilities before making the decision to leave the firm initially?
Yes, I did look for internal mobility opportunities as I wanted to gain more experience in lateral pillars within Global Security to help my career growth. However, I made the decision to leave because the external opportunity was an amalgamation of growth areas that was not available within the firm at that point in time.
Personally, the most important part when considering my available opportunities was being transparent with my manager as they helped me identify potential growth areas. By doing so, I was able to maintain a good relationship with them even when I chose to depart.
My biggest personal advice for anyone considering a change is to make your decision with a clear mind after deliberating your options—so that you're not viewing certain choices with rose-tinted glasses.
Has anything changed since you left? And has anything surprised you in returning?
Besides some organization and personnel changes, I feel more familiarity than differences in a good way. The firm's constant desire to innovate and improve to avoid complacency remains, which continues to set us apart from our peers within the industry.
Honestly, there hasn’t been many surprises but one thing that what I’ve really enjoyed in my return is the focus on the people and the constant push for innovation and improvements. There is no standing still here at JPMC, that is for sure.
What made you decide to rejoin the firm?
Three big reasons: culture, people and a career opportunity that aligned with my personal growth. I really enjoyed my previous time at the firm and had built very strong, lasting relationships with key partners. When two of them reached out for a potential return to J.P. Morgan, it was a no-brainer for me to return to a great culture, work with great people and to a role that aligns with my personal and professional goals.
It's great to experience the familiarity in returning and be able to draw from a range of new experiences to add value in my role and continue to build my career.
