Stewart of JPMorgan Chase & Co. believes we all need to be responsible for the impact we have on our environment

Name: Jennifer Stewart Title: Vice President Company/firm: JPMorgan Chase & Co. Years with company/firm: 13 Years in field: 15 Years in real estate industry: 15 Address: 270 Park Avenue, NY, NY 10017 Telephone: 212-464-0454 Email: [email protected] Responsibilities include: Overseeing the Asset Management real estate portfolio for 4.2 million square feet for approximately 16,000 JPM employees worldwide. Real estate organizations / affiliations: American Institute of Architects (AIA); New York Commercial Real Estate Women (NYCREW), NY Women Executives in Real Estate (WX), Urban Land Institute (ULI), Executive Board Member of NYU Schack Institute of Real Estate Alumni Association Professionally, where were you ten years ago and where are you now? Ten years ago I was employed at Bear Stearns and working on the project team building 1.2 million s/f in midtown Manhattan. Now I oversee 4.2 million s/f worldwide for the asset management line of business at JPMorgan. What single event professional or personal has most significantly impacted your career? The merger between Bear Stearns and JPMorgan Chase has had the greatest impact on my career. Professionally many positives came out of that merger, they were tough times for many colleagues however I was transferred to our London office to complete a large scale construction project and have since returned to NYC to work with a fantastic group of people in an amazing company. What was the best decision that you made in the last year? The best decision I made was to take the job in London when it was offered to me. I made many sacrifices personally to do so, but look back and trust it was the right move personally and for my career. Wouldn't change a thing! What award or recognition has been the most meaningful to you and why? I was very appreciative of the WX Scholarship I received in 2004 while attending NYU's Schack Institute of Real Estate. It afforded me further education and has bridged my academic career into the real estate community at large. I have met so many wonderful women I consider to be colleagues, mentors and friends. How do you stay ahead of the curve? In order to stay ahead I make sure I'm in the thick of it-I volunteer, sit on boards, reach out to others in the industry and stay current by taking classes and reading up on current events and innovative trends in the industry. Who has been the strongest influence on your career and why? My parents have been the strongest influence in my career. They have an inspirational poster hanging in their mud room and #7 says, "Persistence, Persistence, Persistence!" I live by that motto-never give up! What impact has social networking had on your success? Social networking, without a doubt has been an incredible influence on my career-without it I would have missed so many opportunities just by speaking with people and also by extending my network to others. The industry gives back when you're "networked up." How has the need to create a more sustainable environment influenced the way you do business? I'm more cognizant not only in business, but also in how I live my life when it comes to sustainable design. It is important that every person, regardless of industry type takes personal responsibility for their actions and the impact it has on our own environment. We are the makers of our own destiny in theory. We need to recognize that. What obstacles have you overcome to get where you are today? At times when I do not know how to handle a situation, I often watch others in how they deal with a situation or problem. Often I find how I don't want to do something and it leads me to a clearer path to follow. It limits the risks I find in coming up with a solution. What advice would you give to a woman just starting a career in your field? Work hard!