Key Takeaways
- • JPMorgan Chase rehired Ofer Harduf as a managing director in its technology M&A group, based in San Francisco, reinforcing the bank's aggressive expansion of West Coast tech advisory capabilities.
- • Harduf brings dual expertise spanning nine years at JPMorgan (focused on gaming, lodging, and real estate technology) and four years as a partner at venture capital firm Fifth Wall, positioning him to bridge investment banking and principal investing perspectives.
- • JPMorgan's tech M&A team expansion reflects momentum in winning major advisory mandates, including Palo Alto Networks' $25 billion acquisition of CyberArk (announced July 2025), signaling the bank's competitive positioning in high-value technology deals.
- • The hire is part of a broader West Coast recruitment drive that includes six other recent technology banker additions—Mark Garcia (semiconductors), Eric Quanbeck (applied technology), Brett Miller (enterprise and cloud), Peter Duda (software), Mike Amex (mid-cap technology services), and Devin Thomas (software improvement group M&A).
- • Harduf's return underscores JPMorgan's strategic focus on building specialized sector expertise and blending venture capital market intelligence with traditional M&A advisory to capture technology sector deal flow.
Summary
JPMorgan Chase has rehired Ofer Harduf from venture capital firm Fifth Wall as a managing director in the technology M&A group, according to an internal memo distributed August 27, 2025. Harduf will be based in San Francisco, signaling JPMorgan's continued investment in strengthening its West Coast technology banking operations.
Harduf's career spans both traditional investment banking and venture capital investing. He spent nine years at JPMorgan prior to 2021, where he specialized in advisory across gaming, lodging, and real estate technology sectors. He then transitioned to Fifth Wall, a New York-based technology-focused venture capital firm, where he served as a partner for four years before rejoining JPMorgan. This dual-track background—combining principal investing experience with advisory expertise—positions him to offer clients a differentiated perspective informed by both venture capital and banking market dynamics.
JPMorgan executives Jay Hofmann, head of North America M&A, and Vineet Seth, who runs technology M&A for North America, highlighted Harduf's value in their internal announcement, noting that his experience across "the technology ecosystem" from both principal investing and advisory angles strengthens the bank's advisory capabilities. The hire is part of a broader expansion of JPMorgan's technology M&A team on the West Coast, which recently added six other managing directors and senior technologists: Mark Garcia (vice chair and global head of semiconductors), Eric Quanbeck (head of applied technology), Brett Miller (co-head of enterprise and cloud), Peter Duda (supporting software clients), Mike Amex (head of mid-cap technology services), and Devin Thomas (head of technology software improvement group M&A).
This staffing expansion reflects JPMorgan's success in winning high-value technology sector mandates. Most notably, the bank advised on Palo Alto Networks' $25 billion acquisition of CyberArk, announced in July 2025. The deal underscores JPMorgan's competitive positioning in large-scale technology M&A and the strategic importance of building concentrated expertise in applied technology, cloud infrastructure, software, and cybersecurity verticals where deal velocity remains elevated.
Harduf's career spans both traditional investment banking and venture capital investing. He spent nine years at JPMorgan prior to 2021, where he specialized in advisory across gaming, lodging, and real estate technology sectors. He then transitioned to Fifth Wall, a New York-based technology-focused venture capital firm, where he served as a partner for four years before rejoining JPMorgan. This dual-track background—combining principal investing experience with advisory expertise—positions him to offer clients a differentiated perspective informed by both venture capital and banking market dynamics.
JPMorgan executives Jay Hofmann, head of North America M&A, and Vineet Seth, who runs technology M&A for North America, highlighted Harduf's value in their internal announcement, noting that his experience across "the technology ecosystem" from both principal investing and advisory angles strengthens the bank's advisory capabilities. The hire is part of a broader expansion of JPMorgan's technology M&A team on the West Coast, which recently added six other managing directors and senior technologists: Mark Garcia (vice chair and global head of semiconductors), Eric Quanbeck (head of applied technology), Brett Miller (co-head of enterprise and cloud), Peter Duda (supporting software clients), Mike Amex (head of mid-cap technology services), and Devin Thomas (head of technology software improvement group M&A).
This staffing expansion reflects JPMorgan's success in winning high-value technology sector mandates. Most notably, the bank advised on Palo Alto Networks' $25 billion acquisition of CyberArk, announced in July 2025. The deal underscores JPMorgan's competitive positioning in large-scale technology M&A and the strategic importance of building concentrated expertise in applied technology, cloud infrastructure, software, and cybersecurity verticals where deal velocity remains elevated.
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