Carl Chien is a Taiwanese banker and business executive who has led J.P. Morgan’s Taiwan franchise since 2002. He became co-head of Greater China banking in 2015 and Vice Chairman of Asia Pacific in 2017, while continuing as J.P. Morgan’s Chief Executive Officer and Senior Country Officer for Taiwan.
Background
Carl Chien was born on December 20, 1964, in Taipei, Taiwan. He is the son of Fredrick Chien, a Taiwanese diplomat who served as minister of foreign affairs and president of the Control Yuan, and Julie Tien, who studied library management at George Peabody College for Teachers and Western languages at National Chengchi University.
His grandfather, Chien Shih-Liang, was associated with National Taiwan University, where he served as principal. Chien's family background connected him with Taiwan's diplomatic, governmental, and academic institutions before he began his own career in international finance.
Education
Chien received an MBA in International Commerce and Finance from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. Georgetown, founded in 1789, is a major American research university whose location in the national capital has supported longstanding connections among business, government, and international affairs.
Chien began his financial career on Wall Street after completing his graduate education. From 1994 to 1997 he served as Marketing Director for Asia at Morgan Stanley Asset Management in Hong Kong. Morgan Stanley's Taiwan and wider Asian operations were part of the region's expanding international investment-banking and asset-management sector, which linked local companies and investors with global capital markets.
In 1997 Chien joined Goldman Sachs Asia in Hong Kong as an Executive Director. His work during this period preceded his move to J.P. Morgan in 2002, where he assumed responsibility for the firm's Taiwan franchise. J.P. Morgan Chase combined commercial banking, investment banking, markets, and asset-management businesses, giving its country leadership a role across a broad financial platform.
Chien became General Manager of J.P. Morgan Chase Bank in Taiwan in 2002 and was appointed Senior Country Officer for Taiwan in February 2004. He led or participated in major Taiwanese capital-markets and corporate-finance transactions, including the acquisition of United World Chinese Commercial Bank by Cathay Financial Holdings and Cathay's US$522 million offering in 2003. He also worked on Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company's US$1.5 billion American depositary receipt offering in 2005.
His later work included advising on major mergers and acquisitions and financing transactions. He assisted Taiwan Mobile's acquisition of Taiwan Fixed Network in 2007, Fubon Financial Holdings' acquisition of ING Life Taiwan in 2008, and Taiwan Mobile's acquisition of Kbro Cable in 2009. In 2011 he led J.P. Morgan's underwriting of an overseas exchangeable-corporate-bond transaction for F-TPK; the bank subsequently underwrote several of the company's fundraisings.
In 2015 Chien became co-head of Greater China banking with David Li while retaining his Taiwan responsibilities. In 2016 he was associated with J.P. Morgan's North Asia banking leadership and advised on large cross-border transactions involving Hon Hai, Sharp, and Siliconware Precision Industries. He became Vice Chairman of J.P. Morgan Asia Pacific in 2017 and has continued to serve as Chief Executive Officer and Senior Country Officer for Taiwan. J.P. Morgan's annual reports have continued to identify him as the bank's Taiwan country head, and the firm's 2025 corporate information lists him as Senior Country Officer for Taiwan.
Chien led or participated in major Taiwanese investment-banking transactions, including Cathay Financial Holdings' acquisition of United World Chinese Commercial Bank, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company's US$1.5 billion American depositary receipt offering, and major financings for Taiwanese technology and telecommunications companies.
He advised on several of Taiwan's largest mergers and acquisitions of the 2000s, including Taiwan Mobile's acquisition of Taiwan Fixed Network, Fubon Financial Holdings' acquisition of ING Life Taiwan, and Taiwan Mobile's acquisition of Kbro Cable.
He led J.P. Morgan's underwriting of an overseas exchangeable-corporate-bond transaction for F-TPK in 2011 and was associated with the bank's subsequent role in several of the company's capital raisings.
Connections
Chien is the son of Fredrick Chien, who served as Taiwan's minister of foreign affairs and president of the Control Yuan, and Julie Tien. His grandfather Chien Shih-Liang was associated with National Taiwan University as its principal.
He is married to Virginia Hu Chien. The couple have three sons and one daughter.
Father:
Fredrick Chien
Diplomat, former minister of foreign affairs, and former president of the Control Yuan of Taiwan.
Mother:
Julie Tien
Studied library management at George Peabody College for Teachers and Western languages at National Chengchi University.
Grandfather:
Chien Shih-Liang
Served as principal of National Taiwan University.
Wife:
Virginia Hu Chien
Chien's wife; they have three sons and one daughter.
The Art of Expanding during a Downturn
Quotes Chien in his capacity as managing director for J.P. Morgan Chase Bank in Taiwan while discussing Fubon Financial Holdings' expansion and acquisition strategy.
ASIAMONEY recognized a transaction led by J.P. Morgan under Chien's Taiwan investment-banking leadership as Deal of the Year.
ASIAMONEY recognized a transaction led by J.P. Morgan under Chien's Taiwan investment-banking leadership as Deal of the Year.
Best Investment Banker in M&A and Corporate Finance,
Taiwan
Business Weekly named Chien Best Investment Banker in M&A and Corporate Finance in recognition of his work on Taiwanese mergers, acquisitions, and financing transactions.
Business Weekly named Chien Best Investment Banker in M&A and Corporate Finance in recognition of his work on Taiwanese mergers, acquisitions, and financing transactions.
