Career Stops with Miki Van Cleave
By: Next at Chase Editorial Team
The Career Stops series chronicles the twists and turns that members of the Chase team take on the journey to their current roles with the firm. This week, we’re following Head of Design for Consumer Banking and Authentication Miki Van Cleave’s journey from product to design.
Stops 1 and 2: Ohio State University Fisher College of Business, Bachelor of Business Administration & National Instruments
When I graduated from The Ohio State University with a marketing degree in hand, there were two options: go into sales or marketing and communications. I chose marketing and communications, but ironically ended up supporting a field sales organization entirely comprised of engineers. I learned how much e-commerce, digital sales and social media were about to revolutionize business. As sales teams were beginning to tap into the power of digital, I was spending more and more of my time figuring out how to get our customers online. That led me to my first “product” role at USAA, leading our digital customer segmentation strategy. We were just learning how to harness the power of data to provide great experiences and this product strategy role was a key opportunity to learn from some digital pioneers in the field.
The University of Texas at San Antonio, Master of Business Administration
I ended up in design through a non-traditional path. I went through undergrad and grad school to study business. But by the time I was leading product teams, I was very strong in my belief that working across design, development and product was key to delivering products that customers wanted. Working in these cross-functional teams exposed me to human-centered design and design thinking, and I fell in love with the work and the incredibly creative teams. I became a design leader because I believe in the power of design teams and am good at translating between design and the business.
Stop 3: Assistant Vice President, USAA, San Antonio, Texas
I’ve been in financial services for the past 13 years, but before that I spent time working in product and tech companies. These companies taught me how different subject matter experts think and operate.
At USAA, I learned that focusing on solving problems is important, but solving problems from the perspective of real people and consumers is what drives impact. There is always a human component to the challenge you are working on. I held six different roles in eight years at USAA, from strategy to innovation to user experience, and what I ultimately learned was the best teams ignore functional siloes and job descriptions and “swarm” problems as a team.
Stop 4: Head of Design for Consumer Banking and Authentication, JPMorgan Chase & Co., Plano, Texas
I came to Chase because the challenge of working for a company this large fascinated and challenged me. I was ready for a change professionally and wanted to make an impact at scale. What I love about Chase and my job are the people. Every day I work with the smartest people I’ve ever met, solving some very hard problems, and they manage to do it with poise, grace and humor. It makes the job really fulfilling.
I also love being on a team with constrained resources. Not many leaders would say that, but I have always found that it forces creative problem solving and priority setting. What’s fascinating to me about setting priorities is that people avoid them because saying “no” to great ideas is difficult. I’ve almost never said “no.” Instead, I ask “Is this more important than the other things we are working on?”
As a design leader with a smaller team compared to product, tech and data, prioritization keeps us focused, makes sure we aren’t burning out a team on “vaporware,” and we are solving the problems our customers really care about. If you’re looking for a way to focus on prioritization, check out the Customer Why Template.
To me, any work that makes the employee experience easier is the most impactful. The employees in our branches and answering our customers’ calls are truly the lifeblood of Chase, so re-designing a screen or an experience in a way that saves them stress, time or frustration makes me incredibly proud.
I don’t think 22-year-old Miki would have envisioned this type of job. So, raise your hand, be willing to take on challenges and be someone people want on their team. You’ll have lots of opportunities to try on many different roles, and even if they aren’t your ultimate destination, you’ll learn a lot.
Like what you’re reading? Check out our latest opportunities in design.
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For Informational/Educational Purposes Only: The opinions expressed in this article may differ from other employees and departments of JPMorgan Chase & Co. Opinions and strategies described may not be appropriate for everyone, and are not intended as specific advice/recommendation for any individual. You should carefully consider your needs and objectives before making any decisions, and consult the appropriate professional(s). Outlooks and past performance are not guarantees of future results.
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