About

Jeff is Founder & CEO of Lead Mandates LLC, an advisory firm that helps organizations improve business and leadership performance. He is a global strategic business advisor with relevant experience that spans 20-years combined as partner at Ernst & Young LLP (EY) and A.T. Kearney. He is a highly skilled and passionate leader in mergers and acquisitions (M&A), integrations, divestitures, and business transformations, linking strategy to purpose-led leadership and execution.  

In 2020, Jeff retired as Global Client Service Partner at EY, accountable for overall EY client relationship and mobilizing the EY network across service lines with the C-suite of Fortune 200 Consumer Products accounts. Major areas of focus included perspectives on developing global operating models, technology disruptions and changing consumer preferences, M&A, commercial go-to-market, supply chain, manufacturing, human capital, internal audit, and tax. Previously, he was Americas Operational Transaction Services Practice Leader within EY’s Transaction Advisory Services, helping Fortune 1000 and private equity clients operationalize strategies associated with M&A, integrations, divestitures, and operational restructurings. He also served in EY governance roles, including member of the firm’s U.S. Executive Board.   

Prior to joining EY in 2004, Jeff was Vice President at A.T. Kearney Inc., leading business development, service delivery, and firm building at the C-suite of Fortune 500 clients and was Co-Leader of the firm’s merger integration offering in North America. His early management consulting and industry experience includes: CSC Index Inc. (Strategy Practice), Booz & Co. (Strategy/Energy Practice), and BP America Inc. (Chemicals Business Development/Marketing).   

Jeff is a member of corporate and non-profit boards including: Board Director, Fortune Brands Innovations, Inc. (NYSE: FBIN); Independent Director (Trustee), Equitable Funds; Board Director, MasterBrand, Inc. (NYSE: MBC); Board of Trustees Chair, Babson College; Immediate Past Board Chair, Chicago Children’s Museum; Former Board Chair, INROADS Inc.; Board Director, National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) Chicago Chapter; Board Director, Harvard Business School African-American Alumni Association; Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges (AGB) Council of Board Chairs. In addition, he is included in Savoy Magazine 2021 Most Influential Black Corporate Directors and Financial Times Agenda Diversity 100.  

Jeff received his B.S. in Marketing/Quantitative Methods, with high distinction, from Babson College and M.B.A. from Harvard Business School. 

Jeff and his wife Dena are the parents of three children and reside in Lake Forest, IL.