Why Carla Hassan of JP Morgan Chase Always Begins with Empathy

Purpose, empathy, and authenticity are three deeply-ingrained values that chief marketing officer Carla Hassan brings to her work every day, where she leads advertising, media, performance, customer insights and more for Chase, J.P. Morgan and its corporate brands. Hassan's work is fueled by her passion for growing the business through purpose-driven, creative and data-led work for the brand as well as the equally important task of championing DE&I not just for the organization but for the industry at large. ADWEEK: How did you get to where you are today? Hassan: It’s never really one thing that gets someone to where they are, but rather a collective of experiences. As an immigrant growing up in the Middle East, moving to the United States was a pivotal moment in my life. I quickly sought to assimilate to the culture here, as I believed it would give me my best shot at finding success. However, it didn’t take long for me to begin feeling like an imposter. The real pivotal moment happened when I woke up one day and decided to be my true, authentic self; despite the challenges that may come with that decision. I have since been on a mission to be authentic to who I am, 100 percent of the time. I realized the value in authenticity and the value that diverse experiences bring to the workplace. I have since been on a mission to be authentic to who I am, 100 percent of the time. Along the way, I have learned that my experiences have shaped me into the leader I am today. My experiences have helped me understand human connection, empathy, and vulnerability – all critical aspects to building and supporting successful teams. Can you share a situation in which you’ve been unfairly characterized in the workplace due to conscious or unconscious bias? My “niceness” has all too often been characterized as a weakness, which I believe is because of bias towards women and how we’re expected to act. People equate effectiveness in business with aggressiveness, and early on in my career, it was a bit of a challenge as I’m not a naturally aggressive person. However, I quickly learned how to turn my leadership style into a competitive advantage. That’s to say that I know when to bring out a more assertive side, but that isn’t where I start. I begin with empathy. I equate success with authenticity and allowing people to work within their own styles and behaviors. Being nice isn’t a weakness; I believe inauthenticity is. The best advice I can give to women (and men) who face microaggressions like these is to stand their ground and continue to be their authentic selves. Be secure in knowing that you can develop your own point of view and that it’s very possible to do it with kindness. What’s one thing we can start doing today to help close the wage gap between men and women? One of the most important things we can do to help close the wage gap right now is to recognize how the pandemic has worked to widen the wage gap further. The pandemic disrupted businesses across all industries, which resulted in women–particularly mothers and women of color–facing new, distinct challenges. If we don’t recognize the shift and the struggles women have faced over the last two years, we’ll lose all the progress we have made. We must start by recognizing this growing imbalance, not just around closing the wage gap, but also giving more women chances for upward career mobility. Once we identify the issues, we can put the solutions in motion, like modifying structures and policies that make it harder for women to advance in their careers. The past two years have proven to be challenging on our mental health. How have you prioritized your own mental health? As a leader, I’m always working to ensure my team is motivated, engaged and supported in their work, and I know that it’s essential to set an example of how that can look. The reality is you cannot be a great leader or even the best human you can be without starting with yourself. ... One way has been to set aside time every day–even if it’s just a few minutes–to take a step back and really think about what I am accomplishing and what it means to me. I’ve found that taking a quiet moment to think about what I’m doing helps me feel centered and motivates me to keep going. This is much easier said than done given my hectic personal and work schedule, but it is critical to achieving better mental health. This means I have had to say no more often, which is hard for me to do, to prioritize myself. What’s one effective way you’ve seen companies address the existing need for diversity-related initiatives? One of the more effective ways I’ve seen companies address the need for diversity-related initiatives is when they recognize that diversity must be integrated across business units to truly realize its value. Companies that implement these diversity initiatives across the business see more success because they are truly integrated into the business and its goals. Tell us about one major setback you’ve had in your career—how did you handle it? You learn a lot from success, but you learn even more from setbacks. One of the biggest lessons of my career was when I took on the challenge of leading marketing for Toys “R” Us in a period where the retailer was fighting for its survival. As a marketing team, we believed that we could help turn the ship around. In some ways, we did accomplish a lot that I am still proud of to this day. For example, we developed a new mission for the company, modernized the marketing function, and tested new methods for marketing to drive growth. Although the company eventually filed for bankruptcy, I never gave up on the team or the company. On a personal and professional level, the end result was hard to process as it was a very public failure and an outcome I’d never experienced before. When your team sees that you have their backs... they will deliver in spades. I learned a lot from this experience, especially on the importance of being a present leader in good times and bad. This is a lesson I actively use today. When your team sees that you have their backs and that you aren’t going to let them down, no matter what comes your way, they will deliver in spades. How 3 Black Vegan Entrepreneurs Are Cooking Up More Inclusive Approaches to Wellness

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Why Carla Hassan of JP Morgan Chase Always Begins with Empathy

The CMO on combatting Imposter Syndrome and leading authentically—through the good and the bad

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