Forty Under 40

When Scott Milleisen entered the competitive world of banking, he knew he wanted to specialize in sports. That was a tall order for a few reasons: Sports finance is a small sliver in banking, and there is a lot of competition to get into the field.

But Milleisen used his collegiate athletic prowess — he still holds the all-time rushing record for Division III Hamilton College — to get his foot in the door at JPMorgan Chase.

“It did help,” he said of his collegiate glory. “They said here is a guy who is passionate about sports but he also has a brain.”

Today, Milleisen is one of the go-to bankers for JPMorgan Chase’s sports business, which banks teams like the Kansas City Chiefs, Indianapolis Colts, Chicago Cubs and New England Patriots.

“We have 30 teams and owners in our portfolio,” he said.

Chase handles most of its sports from within its private bank, the group that handles super-wealthy individuals. It is from the private bank that Milleisen helped lead the loans to Chicago Cubs buyer Tom Ricketts and, last year, to the Colts and Chiefs.

“It is a competitive space, so we are trying to differentiate ourselves from our competitors,” he said. “Over the last two or three years we have done that given our consistency.”

It helps, of course, to have JPMorgan’s impressive balance sheet, Milleisen concedes. But in sports finance, where players move in and out of the business, it also helps to show regularity and dedication.