J.P. Morgan Commercial Banking announced the hiring of Skip Kelly as managing director and relationship executive on the Venture Capital (VC) Coverage team within its Middle Market Banking and Specialized Industries (MMBSI) group. Based in Boston, Kelly will be responsible for deepening the bank’s relationships with VC firms that focus on the healthcare and life sciences sectors and delivering the resources of J.P. Morgan Commercial Banking to the VC community at the national level.
The healthcare sector is attracting record levels of venture funding as early-stage companies rise to the forefront of delivering critical innovations. The firm’s goal is to bring unmatched value to VC firms that are supporting these companies through its global network, industry expertise and tailored financial solutions. This complements the Commercial Bank’s dedicated team of Healthcare bankers—specializing in sectors ranging from life sciences to healthcare IT—to build a full financial ecosystem around the industry.
“It’s never been more important to invest in the future of healthcare,” said Peter Meath, Co-Head of Healthcare for MMBSI. “Skip’s extensive industry experience and the network he’s built over the course of his career will be a tremendous asset to the firm as we continue building a dedicated community around VCs and healthcare companies to fuel our clients’ success at every stage of growth.”
Kelly was previously the Head of U.S. Life Sciences and Healthcare Credit Solutions at Silicon Valley Bank. He brings 17 years of financial services experience with a focus on serving clients in the healthcare industry to J.P. Morgan. In his new role, Kelly will work closely alongside MMBSI’s VC Coverage and Healthcare teams to deliver the full strength of J.P. Morgan Commercial Banking’s network, financial solutions and resources to healthcare VC clients, as well as the high-growth portfolio companies they invest in.
Created in 2019, J.P. Morgan’s Commercial Banking VC Coverage team caters to the unique needs of VC firms in close collaboration with MMBSI’s Healthcare and Technology and Disruptive Commerce bankers that cover the portfolio companies of VC firms. The team also partners across J.P. Morgan’s lines of business to deliver the breadth of the firm’s capabilities across Investment Banking, Private Banking and Asset Management.