How JPMorgan Chase Empowers Technology Innovation

In trading, timing is everything — and milliseconds can mean the difference between a successful trade and a lost opportunity. Traders need instant access to the best available information about investments, and they need to be able to transmit that information — and their assessments — to clients in seconds. 

Darpan Lalwani, an Associate for Corporate Investment Banking Technology in the equities division at JPMorgan Chase's Mumbai office, knows about high speed trading firsthand: she and her team often provide support to traders from around the globe. 

Darpan felt that the trading process could be enhanced by a system that gives traders instant access to the information they need, making the process faster and more efficient – and giving the traders a strategic edge for their clients. She envisioned a single, easy-to-use dashboard on a single screen enabling traders across the world to track reports, view their content, and evaluate their logic. 

Freedom to Innovate

"At JPMorgan Chase, I felt I could solve a real-time trading application problem."

As a graduate from Mumbai's Vivekanand Education Society's Institute of Technology, Darpan had a great deal of experience in using technology to make roles easier for people. “I’ve always loved trying different technologies and approaches," she says. "At JPMorgan Chase, I felt I could solve a real-time trading application problem."

That freedom to innovate was a major reason why Darpan applied to JPMorgan Chase. Fellow graduates who joined the firm had described the bank as offering an equitable, diverse culture in which anyone — junior or senior — could share ideas and be heard. Darpan's leaders were supportive of her initiative and gave her the go-ahead. She and her team quickly set about brainstorming a proposed solution that they believed  would address traders’ needs.

When the traders saw the platform proposal, they were excited — and quickly came up with further suggestions. For Darpan, this was a great learning opportunity. To better understand the traders’ requirements, she attended workshops and training sessions to learn more about trading. This deeper understanding of the traders’ needs gave her insights into the best way to help them access data, and present it.

Improving things for the end-user

When Darpan's team presented their first version of the platform to the traders, it was met with instant approval. 

They were quick to praise the transparency and access that the new system provided — and their clients. “The traders could now represent the business better to their clients and with more clarity," she says. Users also noted how the dashboard increased productivity, reduced stress and saved time. 

For Darpan, building the platform was an opportunity to expand her skills. “We played the role of a product developer, tester, and gathered feedback after its launch," Darpan says. Looking back, she adds that experiences like this — opportunities to use her expertise to make a difference for her firm and her coworkers — are what she was hoping for when she chose her career. “This is why I joined JPMorgan Chase," she says.

Visit jpmorganchase.com/techcareers to find out more about technology career opportunities at JPMorgan Chase.