Duggan hires JPMorgan Chase executive as Detroit COO, promotes city employees

Mayor Mike Duggan has appointed a banking executive as his new chief operating officer.

Duggan appointed Marcus von Kapf, JPMorgan Chase’s commercial banking director, to replace Brad Dick, who went to work at Wayne State University in the position of senior assistant to the vice president for finance and business, as well as deputy chief commercial officer.

Von Kapf has spent his career building high-performing businesses at large multinational corporations and focuses on long-term sustainable growth, City officials said. The head of the bank spent 20 years at JPMorgan in various management positions. As CFO for 10 years, he doubled the size of the business to $10 billion in revenue from 13,000 employees, helped it expand to 40 countries, doubled investments in technology and implemented new CRM and data systems, according to the city.

“People across the country are paying attention to Detroit’s revitalization, and I’m thrilled to be part of a team doing such extraordinary work,” von Kapf said in a statement. “I look forward to working with the excellent leaders in each of these departments to help achieve even better outcomes for our residents.”

Before JPMorgan, he was the international general manager of Transamerica Commercial Finance and also worked at McKinsey & Co. in Los Angeles and Johannesburg, focusing on financial services. According to city officials, one of the highlights of his career was “helping to end apartheid-era business practices during the Mandela presidency” in South Africa.

“With his level of experience and accomplishments, Marcus could have gone anywhere and made a lot of money, but his heart was drawn to Detroit and public service,” Duggan said. “He will be a tremendous asset to this administration and our city.”

He will lead several city departments, including: Detroit Water and Sewer Department, Department of Building Safety, Engineering and Environmental Protection, Detroit Department of Transportation, Detroit Fire Department, Department of Housing and Revitalization, Detroit Housing Commission, Department of Innovation and Technology, economic use team (Citywide Process Improvement, Human Resources Department. His work began on Monday, October 21.

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Andrea Taverna, who served as director of policy and implementation in the mayor’s office, has been promoted to deputy chief operating officer. Taverna helped lead community violence and service improvement initiatives at DDOT.

Timothy Stark, who served as the mayor’s policy advisor, assumed the role of deputy chief of staff under Chief of Staff Stephanie Washington.

The mayor also named two new heads of the group.

Deputy Chief Operating Officer Jessica Parker and Director of Construction and Demolition LaJuan Counts have been promoted to Group Executive Directors.

Parker will serve as head of the community services group. Parker worked in the general services division and in 2018 became chief enforcement officer for the building department, where she led teams of attorneys, inspectors and support staff responsible for prosecuting owners of damaged properties.

Parker also led beautification and cleanup initiatives across the city and helped property owners bring their properties into compliance. Parker joined City Hall in 2023 as deputy chief operating officer, the city said.

In her role, she will oversee and provide coordination between several city departments and agencies, including: Department of General Services, Recreation, Arts and Culture, Fleet and Facilities Maintenance, Coleman A. Young Airport, Municipal Parking Department, Office of Public Lighting, Public Department of Lighting and Greater Detroit Resource Recovery Authority.

“I am proud to be a part of this administration that is committed to improving the quality of life for Detroit residents. Our commitment to our residents will remain unwavering as we strive to provide first-rate public services,” Parker said in a statement.

LaJuan Counts will serve as group leader for construction and construction operations. As director of the construction and demolition department, Earls was responsible for managing major construction projects in the city, as well as residential and commercial demolition programs.

Under her watch, the city eliminated 7,000 vacant homes deemed unsafe under Proposition N and dozens of vacant commercial buildings that “were an obstacle to progress in neighborhoods throughout the city,” including the former Packard plant.

Earls will oversee several departments, including: the Department of Public Works, the Detroit Construction Authority, the Detroit Land Authority and the Department of Construction and Demolition.

“It’s inspiring to see how much we can achieve together, creating opportunities for growth and development throughout our city. I look forward to leading our talented teams in building a stronger, more vibrant and more inclusive Detroit,” Counts said in a statement.

Both began their duties on October 21.

Duggan also announced Melia Howard as his new deputy mayor after Todd Bettison stepped down to replace Detroit’s interim police chief. Bettison replaces chief James White, whose last day is November 10 when he moves to a new role as CEO of Detroit Wayne Integrated Health Network.

Dana Afana is a Detroit City Hall reporter for the Free Press. Contact: [email protected]. Follow her: @DanaAfana.

This article originally appeared on the Detroit Free Press: JPMorgan Chase CEO Markus von Kapff has been hired as Detroit’s chief operating officer