E36 - The Boardroom Bodhisattva: Mark Thornton on Spirituality and Investment Banking

About this episode

Mark Thornton discusses his journey from investment banking to becoming a Zen teacher and leadership consultant.

Can you find enlightenment on a London Underground platform or in the middle of a £25 million corporate crisis? In this episode of Game of Zen , hosts Scott Berman and Paul Gyodo Agostinelli sit down with Mark Thornton , former COO of JPMorgan Private Bank and author of Meditation in a New York Minute . Mark shares his radical journey from a "caffeine-addicted stress junkie" in the high-stakes world of global finance to a renowned Zen teacher and leadership consultant for Wharton and Harvard Law. Mark demystifies the idea that spiritual practice requires a mountaintop, offering instead a "micro-dosing" approach to mindfulness designed for the world’s busiest professionals. This conversation explores how to break the false correlation between stress and results, and why 5% of Wall Street is quietly fueling a spiritual revolution. Show Notes & Timestamps [0:00] – Introduction to Game of Zen Hosts Scott Berman and Paul Guyoto Augustineelli introduce the podcast's mission: exploring the intersection of professional, personal, and spiritual growth through the lens of Zen. [1:25] – Meet Mark Thornton An overview of Mark’s background as the former COO of JPMorgan Private Bank in…

People in this episode

Hosts: Scott Berman, Paul Agostinelli

Guest: Mark Thornton

Topics covered

• spirituality
• investment banking
• mindfulness
• corporate crisis
• personal growth
• leadership

Keywords

• enlightenment
• micro-dosing
• stress
• Wall Street
• spiritual revolution
• mindfulness practice

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: JPMorgan Private Bank, Wharton, Harvard Law

Books & works: Meditation in a New York Minute

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