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Bloomberg Audio Studios Announcer
Bloomberg Audio Studios Podcasts Radio.
Bloomberg Host
News really happy to say that joining me right now is JP Morgan, CEO of Asset Management and Wealth Management, Mary Ordos. Good to, good to have you here with us. It's been a really busy couple of days and actually we're only day one of FII. But JP Morgan, we're here on Sunday. You were celebrating your 90 year anniversary in Saudi Arabia. And I've got to say, for those who are unfamiliar with Saudi Arabian history, that's even before oil was discovered.
Mary Erdoes
Absolutely. I'm so happy to be here with you. And if you all could only see the, the CROW people that are here, 9,000 delegates here in Riyadh for the FII. It's a really exciting time period, but it's even more exciting for JP Morgan 90th year anniversary celebration with all of the ministers and important heads of minutes of different sectors and the like. But it is incredible to think that 90 years ago we were facilitating gold payments and moving it here into the region before oil was even discovered. And the journey that we've been on with all of our partners, it was great to see at the JP Morgan event that we had on Sunday night to celebrate, so many of the ministers said I was trained by the JP Morgan credit training program back in the day. And so we're very proud of that and our partnership that we've had for so many years.
Bloomberg Host
Quite the evolution for both JP Morgan and of course for the country as well. You know, now we talk about diversification away from oil, but you sense an opportunity 90 years ago. Now there are so many banks coming to the region, it's becoming a lot more competitive. How do you hold on to your market share and compete versus all of the other international banks?
Mary Erdoes
It's competitive everywhere in the world and it's increasingly competitive here. We're very proud. We have 430 people in the region. We just this week named Riyadh as our global headquarters for the region here. So we're very excited about what that means for the opportunity. But you know, we facilitate inbound and outbound payments, investments, all of the things that make the world go round. And we work very hard and it takes very long term time to make these partnerships and to develop the trust. And so to think about not just one industry, but many industries to go through hiccups, to ride through good times and bad times. And you know, that's what makes these relationships.
Bloomberg Host
And so, and as these countries have matured and grown very quickly, what you have seen is an accumulation of wealth. So wealth management is also a big focus for many banks. You have a huge influx as well of ultra high net worth individuals that again are adding to this, the cycle. Would you say that wealth management, investment priorities in this part of the world are different from other. No difference.
Mary Erdoes
No different. You know, everybody has a home country bias. We can't get away from it depending on where we live. But everybody sees the opportunities. And if you just show up at FII for a couple of days, all the opportunities are here. Every major asset manager is here. Everyone's talking about the opportunities. Many discussions on AI as you know, but everything from, from energy to onshoring, reshoring, manufacturing and, and, and all the different opportunities that exist.
Bloomberg Host
Yeah. Let me ask you about, you know, some signals that are coming through from the US economy. Obviously we have the Fed meeting coming up tomorrow. They're widely anticipated to cut interest rates, but you know, CEO Jamie Dimon a couple of weeks ago was talking about there being potentially other cockroaches in the credit market. Something to be alert to. How do you see the signals coming through right now?
Mary Erdoes
Yes, well, I mean we stress test the portfolio of investments that we make with our own balance sheet as well as our clients balance sheets each and every day. And you have to do that, especially when you get to top levels in all of these markets of which we've had, we haven't had a correction in a long time. We haven't had a recession in a long time. And so the closer you get to that time period, nobody knows when it is. You have to make sure that the clients and the balance sheet of whether it's an individual, an institution, a sovereign wealth fund or our own bank is able to sustain that. And so when we stress tests that we look for, you know, what are the little even micro signs of what might be going wrong. And that's, that's our job that, you know, JP Morgan prides itself on fortress balance sheet. We want to be there in good times and bad for our clients. And so we need to make sure that we're able to have the cash ability to help clients as they, as they ride through those times. And there aren't major signs, but you're seeing, you know, little pockets of it. You See a little amend and extend on, on credit terms and the like. And so we're watching it, and we're watching it very closely.
Bloomberg Host
Yeah. How are you feeling about 2026 again? I started this off saying that the Fed are about to cut interest rates again.
Mary Erdoes
Yes.
Bloomberg Host
How do you see the momentum going in to. To 2026? Because most recent results obviously quite positive. Can that momentum continue?
Mary Erdoes
Yes. I mean, we should be seeing more inflation than we are. There's a lot of things. Remilitarization should be inflationary, tariffs should be inflationary. It hasn't cut through the system as much as you would have thought. And so you're getting interest rate cuts. That's very bullish for the economy. You're getting a lot of reinvestment. That's very bullish for the economy. And So I think 2026 is setting itself up to be another great year. Just you have to pick your pockets, you have to risk manage. You have to make sure that the things that have written up so well, have you right size them, have you trimmed them to be in the, in the, in the pocket of the portfolio that they should be.
Bloomberg Host
So you mentioned artificial intelligence earlier. I do want to ask you whether you are actually seeing a return on investment by, by introducing AI into your operations. And then also, you know, whether actually there's scope for AI to replace people's jobs, especially junior and that analyst level.
Mary Erdoes
Yeah, you know, I mean, I. Is a lot of people have said, is there an AI bubble? I said, that's like asking if there's a computer bubble. It's not really a thing. AI is a new way of working. And it's a really important factor in all investments that people make in all companies and especially JP Morgan. You know, we spend a lot of time on it, as you know, we spend $18 billion on technology a year. And we're on the forefront of many things, whether it's AI, quantum computing and the like. But for us, it's about deploying it in a way that you rethink how you do things in the organization. Can you do it faster, better, cheaper, quicker, smarter? Can you catch the errors? Can you protect the clients? Can you make sure that the cyber defenses are, are even stronger than they would be? But if you look at S&P 500 companies, only about 10% of them say that they actually have AI in their products and services out there. And if you look at the mentions of AI when you talk about quarterly earnings, or even just our own investment managers going and meeting for the different management Teams out there around the world and all the companies. It's only about 40 to 50% of international companies. The good news is it's even higher in the US about 70%. And that will trickle through. And it's just like how we see it in our own company. You start with fixing the no joy, you know, get rid of all the no joy work, try to get AI to optimize those kind of things. And then over time, you realize you have to stop the way you're doing all things and rethink entire processes and procedures. Why am I optimistic, optimizing 10 steps when I maybe should have just gone from step one to step 10 and removed everything in between?
Bloomberg Host
Ultimately, do you see AI as a massive cost deflator? Is that how you're thinking about it from a business perspective?
Mary Erdoes
It could, it could be a cost of flavor, but it should be just a great efficiency gain. And the, the better you can do things and the better products and services and they're tailored just to you. I know exactly what you want, on which day, what you've been waiting for, what you're nervous about, and how do I customize that and how do I do that at scale and when I can do that with AI and if I have curious talent, that's all you need is curiosity and a little AI and you can go very far in making the right products and services for the clients of the future.
Bloomberg Host
Yeah. Ultimately though, do you see some of these jobs, as I mentioned, those entry level jobs being replaced by AI?
Bloomberg Audio Studios Announcer
Not at all.
Mary Erdoes
Somebody earlier today said, yes, a lot of jobs will replace. I totally disagree with that. I think the jobs that will be replaced are those for the people that are not curious, for the people that are not using AI, for the people that don't say, how do I rethink this? How do I dig in deeper? And so every time you get to think about using the technology that's at your fingertips and figuring out, you know, how many times did you mention something last week when I was watching you on late night Bloomberg tv, which I do every night of my life, and it's a great, and it's a great joy to hear all the things that you're covering and you say to yourself, well, if I could just plug that in and if I could have it summarize what you're saying every night for me and I could think about how I'm going to apply that. And then I take those vast streams of information. That's all you need. You need curiosity and you need great people to do so. I don't think it's a job destroyer for those kind of people. I think it's a job destroyer for the people that are waiting and fearful that it is going to take over their job.
Bloomberg Host
Mary, thank you so much.
Indiana University Narrator
Indiana University is shaping the future of healthcare advancing discoveries that become treatments for Alzheimer's, obesity, cancer and other rare and complex diseases and training the next generation of providers, doctors and nurses trusted to address health challenges with skill, compassion and purpose. From the lab to the clinic, from research teams to patient care, IU talent is driving medical innovation, improving health outcomes and strengthening communities. See how IU solves What's next iu.
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Episode: Mary Erdoes Talks Credit Market and AI
Date: October 28, 2025
Host: Bloomberg
Guest: Mary Erdoes, CEO of Asset & Wealth Management, JP Morgan
Location: FII conference, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
This episode centers on Mary Erdoes, JP Morgan's CEO of Asset & Wealth Management, as she reflects on the firm's 90-year history in Saudi Arabia and delves into top-of-mind topics at the Future Investment Initiative (FII) conference. The discussion covers JP Morgan’s legacy and strategy in the region, global wealth management trends, credit market risks, monetary policy outlook, and the transformative role of AI in finance. Erdoes addresses the impact of AI on jobs and operational efficiency and counters fears of widespread job displacement.
Historical Perspective (00:29 – 01:45)
“It is incredible to think that 90 years ago we were facilitating gold payments and moving it here into the region before oil was even discovered.” —Mary Erdoes (00:53)
Building Relationships & Competition (01:45 – 02:45)
Similarities in wealth management priorities globally, despite local nuances.
Continued accumulation of wealth within maturing Gulf economies, especially among ultra-high-net-worth individuals.
Conferences like FII highlight broad investment opportunities, from energy to manufacturing and AI.
Quote:
“No different. You know, everybody has a home country bias. We can't get away from it depending on where we live … Every major asset manager is here. Everyone's talking about the opportunities.” —Mary Erdoes (03:08)
Stress Testing and Vigilance (03:36 – 05:00)
“JP Morgan prides itself on fortress balance sheet. We want to be there in good times and bad for our clients. ... And there aren't major signs, but you're seeing, you know, little pockets of it.” —Mary Erdoes (03:57)
Inflation Expectations & Fed Policy for 2026 (05:00 – 05:48)
“You're getting interest rate cuts. That's very bullish for the economy. You're getting a lot of reinvestment. That's very bullish for the economy. And so I think 2026 is setting itself up to be another great year.” —Mary Erdoes (05:13)
Adoption, ROI, and Efficiency Gains (05:48 – 07:43)
“Is there an AI bubble? I said, that's like asking if there's a computer bubble. It's not really a thing. AI is a new way of working.” —Mary Erdoes (06:05)
“You start with fixing the no joy, you know, get rid of all the no joy work, try to get AI to optimize those kind of things.” —Mary Erdoes (06:53)
Cost Deflation and Client Experience (07:37 – 08:14)
“All you need is curiosity and a little AI and you can go very far in making the right products and services for the clients of the future.” —Mary Erdoes (07:43)
“The jobs that will be replaced are those for the people that are not curious, for the people that are not using AI … I don't think it's a job destroyer for those kind of people. I think it's a job destroyer for the people that are waiting and fearful that it is going to take over their job.” —Mary Erdoes (08:24)
On JPM’s history in Saudi Arabia:
“It is incredible to think that 90 years ago we were facilitating gold payments and moving it here into the region before oil was even discovered.”
—Mary Erdoes (00:53)
On the myth of an AI bubble:
“Is there an AI bubble? … that's like asking if there's a computer bubble. It's not really a thing.”
—Mary Erdoes (06:05)
On the true risk from AI for jobs:
“The jobs that will be replaced are those for the people that are not curious, for the people that are not using AI...”
—Mary Erdoes (08:24)
On 2026 economic forecast:
“You’re getting interest rate cuts. That's very bullish for the economy. You're getting a lot of reinvestment. That's very bullish for the economy. And so I think 2026 is setting itself up to be another great year.”
—Mary Erdoes (05:13)
Mary Erdoes presents a forward-looking, pragmatic view on finance, wealth management, and technological transformation. With an emphasis on adaptability, curiosity, and incremental as well as radical change, she positions JP Morgan—and the industry at large—as cautiously optimistic about both the global credit landscape and the positive, though disruptive, potential of AI. The episode is rich in actionable insight, particularly for those interested in the intersection of finance, technology, and organizational change.