John Kemper

President, Chief Executive Officer & Director, COMMERCE BANCSHARES INC

Search every verified John Kemper interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote — each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. In a March 2025 podcast appearance, John Kemper discussed the 2023 banking crisis, attributing several bank failures to the government's COVID-era stimulus and low interest rates, which he said led banks to make long-dated loans at low yields. When rates rose, funding costs exceeded loan yields, creating a mismatch that threatened bank net worth and triggered deposit runs. Kemper described banks as operating with high leverage, where small losses can wipe out equity, and emphasized the importance of managing risks that occur infrequently. Kemper also addressed the role of artificial intelligence in banking, stating it is already used for risk scoring, anti-money-laundering detection, and customer service, and predicted it will significantly change credit decisioning while human accountability remains essential. He offered investment advice, recommending index funds and early, consistent saving to benefit from compound interest. When discussing hiring, Kemper said he looks for curiosity, problem-solving, and leadership, and avoids "brilliant jerks" who are smart but toxic to culture.