Overview

As Director, Board Impact at The ExCo Group, Jon Friedman partners with boards, CEOs, and senior leaders to strengthen governance effectiveness and leadership capability. Jon brings deep experience advising on board composition, director succession, and leadership assessment, helping clients align governance practices with enterprise strategy and long-term value creation.

Drawing on a strong foundation in executive search and politics, Jon offers a nuanced understanding of how leadership, culture, geopolitical climate, and governance intersect. He is known for his ability to translate insight from board and executive work into practical advisory guidance that supports effective decision-making, strong leadership dynamics, and sustained organizational performance.

Career History

Jon has built his career as a trusted advisor to boards and senior leaders, helping organizations strengthen governance effectiveness and leadership decision-making in moments that matter—board refreshment, succession, and executive transition.

Prior to joining The ExCo Group, Jon served as a Director at Major, Lindsey & Africa, working across the firm’s In-House Counsel Recruiting and Board Services practices. In that role, he advised public and private companies, private equity firms, and nonprofits on board and senior legal leadership matters, including board composition, governance effectiveness assessments, and director succession. His work combined rigorous talent evaluation with a practical advisory lens on boardroom dynamics, risk oversight, and long-term value creation.

Earlier in his career, Jon was a national political consultant, specializing in integrated voter outreach, strategic absentee ballot initiatives, and direct-response fundraising. He advised presidential campaigns, federal candidates, national committees, and major nonprofit organizations, operating in fast-paced, high-stakes environments where strategy, messaging, and stakeholder alignment were critical to success.

In addition to his client work, Jon is actively involved with the Directors Academy, a national nonprofit dedicated to accelerating the development of the next generation of corporate directors. Through the Academy’s NextGen Directors program, Jon supports an initiative that has developed a pipeline of 200+ board-ready diverse senior executives who have served on over 160 corporate boards following their participation in the NextGen Directors program.

Personal

Jon lives in Gilbert, Arizona, with his wife, Julianne, and their Yorkshire Terrier, Henry. He enjoys spending time with family in Northern Michigan, Connecticut, and Florida, and makes the most of the outdoors through hiking, watersports, dirt biking, skiing, and snowmobiling.

His wife’s theater roots also inspired his love for the arts, so they can often be found in New York taking in dinner and a Broadway show.