A 'relentless' 29-year-old is running JPMorgan's crypto strategy - here's what you can learn from him

JPMorgan

Oliver Harris, JPMorgan

• Oli Harris, 29, is JPMorgan's head of crypto strategy and before that ran the bank's "In Residence" startup programme.
• He was featured on Business Insider's UK Fintech 35 under 35.
• Harris spoke to BI about how to get ahead at a big bank.

LONDON - How can you climb the ranks at the big bank at a young age?

"You have to be relentless in the pursuit of your goals," says Oli Harris, 29, who runs is JPMorgan's head of crypto strategy. Harris is one of the people featured on Business Insider's UK Fintech 35 under 35, a list showcasing the best young talent in the industry. Prior to his crypto role, he ran the bank's "In Residence" programme, which found promising fintech startups for JPMorgan to work with.

"I love the ability to be the bridge between JPMorgan and the fintech world, and actually seeing tangible outcomes of the partnerships we do with companies," Harris said.

Prior to JPMorgan, Cambridge graduate Harris worked at the Office of former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, the World Economic Forum, and Accenture. Clearly, he's a high-flier.

'The key things is actually getting work done'

"You have to be honest with yourself: what are your goals? What do you actually enjoy doing?" Harris said. "Then make a plan in terms of: if I'm at a) and I want to get to b), how do I actually get to b? What resources do I need to achieve it?"

Harris recommends finding people within your organisation who can help you develop and get what you want to go.

"Mentorship is obviously extremely important, ensuring you have the right network, and I think whether you're in a small startup or working within a large organisation you still need to have a very strong network," Harris said.

"For me at JPMorgan, it's about having a strong network within the different functions of the bank but also the different counterparts I work with on a day to day basis, whether it's venture capitalists, startups, universities, so on and so forth."

It may seem daunting, but "never be afraid to reach out to anyone or just speak to people," Harris said.

"Everyone's human, people want to help out, and I think one of the key things is just to reach out. The worst they can say is no or sorry I'm too busy, maybe let's do something another time."

While having a goal and a good network are important, there's no replacement for hard work, Harris added: "One of the key things is actually getting work done."

Humility is also important.

"Checking yourself and your own personal views is really important," he said. "Alongside that is empathy. I think having empathy is key in terms of understanding other people's needs and caring personality. One of my mantras is radical candor. You have to come from a place of empathy but be able to challenge the status quo."