Kenta Shirafuji
Jordan Kessler
Vice President, Sports Finance Group, J.P. Morgan Private Bank
Age: 29
Born: New York City
Education: Vanderbilt University, B.A., financial management and entrepreneurship, minor in Spanish
A seven-year veteran of J.P. Morgan’s sports finance group, Jordan Kessler manages $5 billion in syndicated and J.P. Morgan-only loans. The Vanderbilt grad also played a key role in extending nearly $1 billion in financing to clients amid the pandemic.
more About you
Most important lesson learned in 2020: Life is too short to sweat the small stuff.
Ways to network or stay connected with peers this year: By maximizing social time outdoors while the weather has been favorable and making an effort to schedule video and phone calls with family, friends, colleagues and clients. Doing so has helped me keep a positive attitude, preserve creativity and maintain a pulse on the industry.
Go-to person when I need help: I always start with my father for career advice given his experience co-founding and growing a company.
My inspiration: My late grandfather remains one of the most impressive people I have ever known. He was a successful entrepreneur despite having limited formal education and growing up in poverty. He prioritized family and made it a point to instill this “family-first” value in each of his children and grandchildren.
In the industry
Biggest surprise when I started my career: How much actually goes into closing a deal. While they may appear to the general public as simple news headlines, transactions like team acquisitions require deep due diligence and involve numerous parties. I quickly got accustomed to the late nights, abundance of emails and excitement of the end-to-end deal process.
Most exciting aspect of sports business: Developing relationships with individuals (owners, former athletes, etc.) and teams I grew up following and rooting for. Uniting my personal interest in sports with a career in the same industry makes each and every day exciting.
Sports industry needs to do a better job of … : Keeping fans engaged when they cannot attend events in-person, yet this is something the industry is actively adapting to and has creatively addressed this year (e.g. virtual fans).
