JPMorgan veteran returns from Detroit city hall to lead $1.5T initiative

Von Kapff rejoined the bank this summer to lead advanced manufacturing, managing a team tasked with supporting domestic production of specialized sensors and industrial equipment. His transition back to the private sector was prompted by the scale of the Security & Resilience Initiative, a $1.5 trillion effort backed by CEO Jamie Dimon. While the team has already deployed over $4 billion in equity and financed more than $200 billion as of late September, von Kapff argues that his real value lies in bridging the gap between bureaucratic incentives and commercial goals.

Drawing on his time managing Detroit’s housing zoning reforms and infrastructure funding, von Kapff is now tackling the "knotty problems" of the US manufacturing base, including a projected 3.8 million-person worker shortage. He frequently travels to Washington, DC, to provide the political context necessary for public-private partnerships. While he acknowledges that scaling local permitting solutions to the federal level remains a daunting challenge, he views his dual perspective as essential to aligning the bank's capital with national strategic interests.