As we all know, there’s a lot of uncertainty in the financial markets right now, and that raises a lot of questions. Is another stimulus package coming? How can the markets be at an all time high despite many businesses struggling and unemployment still more than double what it typically is? And, of course, how will the November election affect things? 

Like many small business owners, I had several questions of my own. What were the pros and cons of the initial process surrounding PPP loans? Were they fair to true small businesses? Will there be loan forgiveness, and is there going to be another wave?

Luckily for us, this week’s guest, Jim Popp, is in a unique position to answer these questions.

Before joining Johnson Financial as CEO three years ago, Popp spent 38 years at JP Morgan Chase – most recently as the Wisconsin market leader – and also had a stint in the NFL having “three cups of coffee” with the Chciago Bears, San Francisco 49ers and Houston Oilers. As far as philanthropic involvement, he currently serves on the boards of the Boys and Girls Club, MMAC, Children’s Hospital and Greater Milwaukee Committee.

Now at the head of Johnson Financial, the largest privately held bank in Wisconsin with over 1,100 employees and branches all over the state, Popp and company processed over 2,200 PPP (SBA) loans in a five week span this spring. To put things in perspective, they processed eight SBA loans in all of 2019 combined.

In this episode of the GoGedders Podcast, Popp not only covers what is going on in the financial markets right now but also talks about the challenges and opportunities of running a large financial institution during a pandemic, how to maintain a strong culture and what the future of the banking industry looks like.