On today’s episode of The GoGedders Podcast, host Richie Burke spoke with Jim Popp, president and CEO of Johnson Financial Group (JFG). They discussed JFG’s big move to a new office space overlooking Cathedral Square, what JFG is doing to give back to the community and what the future of Fintech looks like.

When listening to Jim Popp speak about the Milwaukee community, it is clear that his love for the city runs deep. Though he was born in Illinois, he acknowledges being a FIB (Friendly Illinois Brother) and admits Milwaukee is where his heart truly lies. 

When Richie questioned Popp on what is it that drives him to get involved within so many boards, he noted: “For me, Richie, it's Milwaukee.”

“Milwaukee is one of those towns where if you want to be a part of the fabric of this community, all you have to do is raise your hand. You raise your hand and you show up, and people ask you to be part of their boards and be part of solutions around Milwaukee, and it’s such a great community for that. Milwaukee is a community where everyone kind of pitches in.”

And it’s true, Milwaukee is full of diverse individuals with diverse ideas, and when we come together, we see a change for the better.

Over the last several years, JFG has donated around $2 million to charities per year, and it just recently announced a $500k donation to United Way. Popp mentioned that giving back is a huge part of JFG’s values.

“For us, we’ve been really fortunate to be working and doing well during this pandemic," he said. "We’re an essential business in the community and in the ecosystem. For us, when we do well we think we have an obligation to give back to the communities that we do business with, and that allow us to do well.”

Not only is JFG keeping up with the ever-evolving world we live in today by supporting the community, they’re also keeping on top of technological advancements. When Richie recalled JFG’s recent investment within the Fintech space, Popp stated, “The financial services space overall has evolved so rapidly in the last ten years and it's exponentially changing today. So if you’re not investing in digital and technological solutions that make your business simpler to do business with, easier, safer, faster and more personal, then you’re falling behind. And we recognize that, we realize that, and we’re fortunate we have the scale along with the capital to continue.”

To learn more about Jim Popp and what Johnson Financial Group is doing, listen to The GoGedders Podcast episode 177.

As always, we hope you’re enjoying the show as we spotlight different guests and topics around Milwaukee. If there’s anyone you’d like to see on the show, or anything you’d like to hear us discuss, let us know by reaching out directly to Richie Burke at richie@ggmm.io. And, if you’ve got a moment, please take a minute to subscribe to the show, leave a review or share with a friend. All of those things really help us out, as they help others like you find our podcast.