Debra Langford & Racquel Oden
From Hustle to Holdings - Building Black Wealth
A conversation with Debra Langford, Managing Director, Head of Black Wealth Strategies at J.P. Morgan Private Bank, and Racquel Oden, U.S. Head of Wealth, Premier and Global Private Banking at HSBC, on translating income and access into long-term ownership. Drawing on their careers, Debra and Racquel will share perspectives on enabling the shift from hustle to holdings and unpack how Black communities can leverage financial infrastructure to build durable, multi-generational wealth.
Debra Langford, Managing Director, Head of Black Wealth Strategies at J.P. Morgan Private Bank
Debra Langford is a Managing Director and the Head of Black Wealth Strategies for J.P. Morgan Private Bank. In her leadership function, Debra champions the development of opportunities that guide affluent members of the Black community in the growth and preservation of their wealth, and in leaving generational legacies. She draws from her vast network and seasoned background to make J.P. Morgan the right partner for clients.
Debra has found that culture often shapes wealth decisions, and she creates content, sponsorships and events that position Bankers and families of color to engage. Accustomed to being the “first” in many roles, she excels at building strategic connections and inclusive environments, especially for underrepresented groups.
Following a career of producing outstanding results in media and entertainment content, Debra pivoted to deliver enterprise-level outcomes in diversity initiatives. This was manifest at Time Warner, where she designed innovative strategies to attract diverse executive talent for senior positions. Similarly, at NBCUniversal, Debra was instrumental in showcasing best practices for reaching the multicultural audience. The entirety of her background brought her to J.P. Morgan in 2020 to lead Business Development for Advancing Black Pathways. She is proud to couple the strength of her skill set with the reputation of an industry leader.
Debra was Governor Edmund Brown’s appointee to the California Film Commission and President Barack Obama’s appointee to the USO Board of Governors for both terms. Philanthropic by nature, she is the Secretary for the Leading Women Defined Foundation.
A longtime entertainment industry leader and pioneer in Black executive leadership, Debra was featured in Savoy Magazine’s 2024 Most Influential Executives in Corporate America, Ebony Magazine as Power 100 Leader and was the 2022 NAACP Changemaker Award honoree.
A Los Angeles native, Debra earned a B.S. from the USC Marshall School of Business, where she later became the first Assistant Dean of Diversity at the Business School. She created the Women’s MBA Conference series before moving to the USC Race and Equity Center as Chief Strategy Officer.
Debra is an avid sports fan, enjoys a variety of music, and amateur photographer.
Racquel Oden, U.S. Head of Wealth, Premier and Global Private Banking at HSBC
Racquel Oden is HSBC’s U.S. Head of International Wealth and the Global Private Bank. Racquel is redefining wealth management by ensuring people from all backgrounds are empowered to master the language of wealth.
She was named to the Forbes 50 Over 50 list for her dedication to inclusive financial health and is a recipient of American Banker’s 2025 Most Powerful Women in Finance award.
Innovating beyond traditional banking, Racquel led a partnership with MSNBC to launch "The Giving Shift." This groundbreaking research revealed a critical evolution in women’s philanthropy. By using this data to align financial strategies with modern values, Racquel is actively reshaping the culture of who holds wealth, how it is given, and how it is grown for future generations.
A veteran of senior roles at JPMorgan Chase, Merrill Lynch, and UBS, Racquel brings deep executive experience to HSBC, one of the world largest banking and financial services organizations. Racquel is a dedicated philanthropist, serving as the Chair of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) board. She also sits on the boards for the Apollo Theater, NY Prep for Prep, and the NYC Police Foundation. Racquel holds an MBA from Hampton University and a B.A. from James Madison University.