It Takes Intentional Solutions For Intentional Problems
Jason Mercer is a part of Cleveland Avenue’s Finance Team, focusing on financial diligence for investment opportunities. Jason has over ten years of work experience in strategy, finance and mergers and acquisitions-related roles within large, multi-national organizations in the Food & Beverage sector. Most recently, Jason was the Business Manager Consumer for Fonterra USA, where he was responsible for growing volume, profitability and brand awareness.
Earlier in his career Jason was a Senior Financial Analyst for Warner Music Group and an Investment Banking Analyst at Lehman Brothers. Jason earned his Bachelor of Arts in Finance from Morehouse College and an MBA from Stanford University Graduate School of Business.
Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:
Jason’s pride in being from Metro Detroit
His family history being a child of grandparents who were part of “the great migration”
What he enjoyed about attending Morehouse College in Atlanta, GA
Why he prompts leaders to ask how they can be intentional about being an agent of change
Jason’s experiences being a Black man in his career and outside of the workplace
What leaders must do to create a talent pool that’s diverse
How being intentional about your overall plan for change will assist in each choice you make
Why the work must be done on creating pipelines to bring the right people into your company
What his personal mantra is
What quotes motivate him daily
In this episode….
Jason Mercer is proud to have been born and raised in Metro Detroit. His family worked hard to send his mother to college and she graduated from the University of Michigan. When it came time for Jason to choose post-secondary education, he decided on Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia. Upon graduating, he worked on Wall Street at Lehman Brothers, then in the finance division of Warner Music Group before ending up at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business where he earned his MBA and got to see what he calls “the venture capital vibe”.
Jason is currently in venture capital with Cleveland Avenue, leading due diligence for a fund that supports investments, especially for Black and women entrepreneurs with a further focus on the Chicago area. He is passionate about promoting and supporting Black and Brown communities and growing leadership for representation. The title of his episode refers in part to asking the question “if you want to be an agent of change, how are you going to be intentional about doing that?”
In this episode of What CEOs Talk About, host Martin Hunter and Jason Mercer discuss racial inequality and being a proactive agent of change. Jason explains how leaders must set intentional goals, driving for change in set plans, and make their intentions public to leadership and the organization. They talk about Jason’s experiences as a Black man in his career and what must be done to get a talent pool that’s diverse. As Jason says, “small decisions played out thousands of times creates change.”
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Contact email: info@urgeo.com
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