Jesse Jackson
Jesse Jackson serves as the head of Firmwide Learning and Talent Solutions for JPMorgan Chase. He has been with the firm for more than 25 years and has also held several national leadership roles within the commercial and business banking industries. He currently serves as the North American co-chair of BOLD (Black Organization for Leadership Development) Business Resource Group, as a strategic advisor to HERE to HERE, a not-for-profit organization focused on creating career pathways for disadvantaged youth and is a guest lecturer at Cornell University’s Industrial and Labor Relations graduate program. Jesse received an MA from NYU's NYU’s Graduate School of Arts and Science. We discussed NYU Steinhart’s online EdD in Leadership and Innovation program with him.
You've had a rich career so far. What are some highlights?
Like many people, my memories are linked to important life events. What comes to mind as a career highlight is my first day joining the Management Development Program class at the Chase Manhattan Bank (now J. P. Morgan Chase). Another memory is my first day in the master’s degree program at NYU. These experiences were key inflection points in my career journey and were exhilarating and enjoyable.
Why did you decide to pursue a degree in the online EdD in Leadership and Innovation?
In our age of acceleration, illustrated by continual digital innovation and change, lifelong learning is essential for professional development. In our globally competitive marketplace, the need for thought-leadership is critical. New York University’s reputation for educational leadership is unrivaled in New York and globally. The online EdD program assured me a market-leading education.
In our age of acceleration, illustrated by continual digital innovation and change, lifelong learning is essential for professional development.
Do you have a topic for your doctoral project?
For the doctoral project requirement, I am myopically focused on the skills of the future and the future of work. Again, in this age of acceleration, the emergence of AI, robotic process automation, and machine learning are rapidly changing speed-to-market and customer experience. If we align our future workforce to optimize these tools and systems, we have the capacity to boost our economic output and improve our way of life.
What challenges do you face working full-time and pursuing an advanced degree?
Without question juggling both is challenging; however, the NYU program has been built for working professionals. Specifically, course curriculums are clearly communicated, and that helps to manage scheduling; residency requirements are thoughtfully sequenced. The online engagement portion of the program offers flexibility; I took several classes from Zurich this year while I was there on business without issue.
Why is this degree important to you?
Without question, the education and experiences I had as a graduate student at NYU have been invaluable in helping me thoughtfully, and effectively, contribute to the mission of our global organization That said, the degree is not as important to me as the experience: the learning and the network we are building with other similarly-minded public and private sector executives. Notwithstanding, the EdD program is world-class. It positions participants for valuable cross-sector engagement that has the potential to transform how we prepare the workforce for the future of work.
Related Articles
Learning How to Create Change in Higher Education: An Interview with Felipe Henao, Online Student
An interview with online EdD student, Felipe Henao, executive director of Student Life, Health & Wellness at Mercy College.
In and of the World: Counseling@NYU Students Find Community Online and at NYU Accra
Ambar Gomez and Katherine Lizardo became friends through their online Counseling@NYU program. The two enriched their studies with a trip to NYU Accra to study Global Perspectives in Higher Education.