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Eric Fridman

Executive, Career, and Life Coach | Adjunct Professor

Eric Fridman is a prominent career coach and educator associated with Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management. He is the founder of Fridman Associates LLC, where he specializes in executive coaching, focusing on leadership development and organizational change. With over 30 years of experience in marketing, communications, and strategy, Fridman has held significant roles at Northwestern University, including assistant dean of marketing and communications for both the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences and the Kellogg School of Management.12

Education and Professional Background

  • Education: Fridman earned a bachelor's degree in European history from Denison University, a master's degree in humanities from the University of Chicago, and an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management. He also holds a leadership coaching certification from Northwestern's Master of Science in Learning and Organizational Change (MSLOC) program.123

  • Career Path: Before transitioning to academia, Fridman spent 20 years in various strategic roles within telecommunications and computer networking companies. His shift to higher education led him to serve in several senior communications roles at Northwestern for 15 years before establishing his coaching practice.12

Teaching and Coaching

Fridman teaches graduate-level courses at Northwestern, including "Accelerating Learning and Performance" and "Building Transformative Client Relationships." He also coaches high-impact teams in Kellogg's Executive MBA program and provides career coaching for alumni.23 His coaching approach emphasizes mindfulness and contemplative practices as tools for personal and professional growth.2

Community Involvement

Beyond his professional commitments, Fridman is active in community service. He serves as president of The Chasing Hope Foundation, which advocates for supportive housing for children with mental health challenges. Additionally, he volunteers with One Million Degrees, helping low-income community college students succeed.12

Personal Life

Fridman resides in Glenview, Illinois, with his wife and two adult children. He is known for his engaging teaching style and dedication to fostering leadership skills among his students and clients.12

Highlights

Aug 21 · linkedin

AN OPEN LETTER TO MY 28-YEAR OLD DAUGHTER

This clearly is the Year of the Woman. I can feel it. Hilary Clinton's DNC keynote last night was compelling and inspiring, and Michelle Obama's speech was - at least in my opinion - more impassioned than Barack’s, who has deservedly been described as one of the greatest presidential orators of our time.

Hilary and Michelle owned the room last night in Chicago. So, who’s flying to FL to give the big guy the bad news? Women are on the move, and they’re done taking “no” or “not yet” for an answer.

Kamala Harris. Taylor Swift. Caitlin Clark. Beyoncé. Amy Edmondson (humor me, Francesca, she’s one of my professional heros), Simone Biles, Maggie Haberman, Greta Gerwig, and MacKenzie Scott, to name just a few of the many powerful women who are moving us forward. They’ve all assumed their rightful places on the world stage of politics, sports, journalism, culture, business, and philanthropy. Each is leaving her mark on the world.

Powerful, intelligent, and courageous women with fierce minds, kind hearts, and brave spirits are leading the way.

The world is changing, and despite the toxic diet of vitriol and violence the media feeds us on a daily basis, let’s not forget that in many ways it’s also changing for the better. I sense more empathy, more compassion, and more courage to raise our voices and speak our truths. In many cases, we have women to thank for this long-overdue transformation of our culture.

Ride the wave, Francesca. You’ve been blessed and privileged to have been born at exactly the right place, at exactly the right time, with exactly the right constellation of passion, skill, knowledge, and street smarts that will serve you well throughout your life.

Now find your rightful place on the stage, make your own mark, and ride the wave.

Aug 16 · linkedin

As a member of the inaugural class of the MSLOC organizational and leadership coaching program that launched in 2014, I’m looking forward to an engaging conversation about the business side of coaching with my colleagues Shereen Sater, John McGonigle, and Cathy Lieberman, PCC on September 13.

Related Questions

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Eric Fridman
Eric Fridman, photo 1
Eric Fridman, photo 2
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Experience

Founder at Fridman Associates (January 2015 - Present)
Career Coach, Leadership Coach, Team Facilitator at Northwestern University - Kellogg School of Management (August 2021 - Present)

Education

Certification in Organizational and Leadership Coaching, Northwestern University School of Education and Social Policy (April 2014); Basic Program in Liberal Education for Adults, The University of Ch

Location

Glenview, Illinois, United States