Mike Ballases was named Houston Chairman of JP Morgan Chase in July of 2004. His prior Bank One positions include Middle Market Southern Region Head from March 2003 to July 2004, and Retail Southern Region Executive from November 2000 to March 2003. Mike was President of Bank One Louisiana from November 1998 to November 2000. Previously, Mike served as Executive Vice President and Manager of Corporate Banking for the Houston Region of Bank One, Texas. He began his banking career with Texas Commerce Bank in 1972. He joined Team Bancshares in 1989 as Chairman of its Houston Region and was named Manager of Corporate Banking for the Houston Region when Bank One purchased Team Bancshares three years later.

A Houston native, he earned a B.B.A. degree from the University of Texas at Austin in 1972. Mike's affiliations in Houston include: The 2007/2008 Chairman of the United Way Campaign, Executive Committee of the United Way of the Texas Gulf Coast, Executive Committee of the Greater Houston Partnership, Graduate of the Center for Houston's Future and the Board of Central Houston Inc. While living in Louisiana, Mike served as a Board Member of the following organizations: The Business Council of New Orleans and the River Region (Executive Committee Member), The United Way for Greater New Orleans (Chairman of the United Way Campaign 1999), the Committee for a Better New Orleans, Teach For America, the University of New Orleans Foundation, the Tulane Business School Council, the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation, the Bureau of Governmental Research, the YMCA, and The New Orleans Museum of Art. He also served as Co-Chair of the Leadership Committee of the United Negro College Fund.