Zafar is expected to join around July after garden leave, extending JPMorgan’s push to add AI specialists as major banks seek productivity gains from the technology.
JPMorgan is hiring Tahir Zafar from Nomura, where he served as head of international AI strategy, with the move expected to take effect around July after he completes garden leave. Bloomberg reported on June 9 that Zafar joined Nomura in late 2023 and was promoted to his current role in March 2025. The hire adds to JPMorgan’s broader recruitment of artificial intelligence specialists as large banks compete to use the technology to lift productivity, improve operations and strengthen future client and business capabilities.