From Working on Ships to Managing an Office Team: A Military Background Leads to Success

Even on a busy workday afternoon, Chris Lowhorn, a Control Manager at JPMorgan Chase in Columbus, Ohio, keeps things light. “I don't know about you, but this afternoon is hoppin'!" she laughs. “There's a lot of stuff going on!"

She attributes her positive attitude and perseverance to her nearly seven years of military service. Originally from St. Louis, Missouri, Lowhorn is a Navy veteran and a graduate of the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. During her time in the military, she was a Surface Warfare Officer, serving on ships deployed in Japan, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East.

In 2018, she left the Navy and joined JPMorgan Chase, joining thousands of veterans who have made the transition from military service to working at the bank. Lowhorn has thrived at the bank—helped, in part, by JPMorgan Chase's Office of Military and Veterans Affairs. Established in 2011, the program honors and supports the contributions of veterans by employing, recruiting, retaining, and developing diverse veteran talent, supporting veteran-owned businesses and entrepreneurship, providing financial products and tools to veterans and their families, and enabling veteran engagement and outreach in veteran communities.

Chris Lowhorn recently discussed how she went from working on ships to managing effective teams in JPMorgan Chase's corporate office in Columbus, Ohio.

What does your job currently entail?

I'm a Control Manager, so I support business banking lending by ensuring we consider risk and regulation in our business practices. I help develop programs to mitigate risks and work with audit, compliance and legal partners to review those programs and mitigations.

In what ways do the skills you used in the Navy show up in the corporate world?

I find there are a lot of cultural similarities between JPMorgan Chase and the military. There's a strong bias for action, an obvious pride in the work, and a lot of accountability as a firm. I have seen veterans transition well at JPMorgan Chase, which is great for both the bank and veterans.

What do you enjoy most about working at JPMorgan Chase?

No two days are the same and there's always a lot going on. I think it's interesting to solve problems and create new solutions that are better both for the bank and for our clients. My role allows me to be a voice on behalf of our customers; as a business that strives to do the right thing, that's something that I am proud of. The people that I work with genuinely care about our clients. They're being supportive not because they have to, but because they want to. I think that that's an important distinction.

How do you stay connected to and support local and veteran communities?

Inside the bank, I started a monthly happy hour for female veterans to connect and engage with each other. Externally, I serve on the boards of Senator Portman's Service Academy Nomination and the Overwatch Partnership, a non-profit that helps mentor veterans during their transition and job search after military service

What has working in the military meant to you?

During my time in the military, I got to do a lot of rewarding work, including community relations projects, building schools, providing medical aid, helping after a mudslide, and more.

When I look back on my military service, I see there are so many elements of that time that make up who I am at my core and what I've been able to achieve as a veteran. When I entered the military, I was just a young college graduate. Within eight months I was legally qualified to be responsible for the safety and navigation of the ship. I don't think I fully understood the level of responsibility that I had at the time, but because the expectations were so high, I achieved greater heights.

Learn more about how JPMorgan Chase supports the military community, their families and communities where we work and live.