Jon likes learning about everything: business, people, software development, languages, brain
science, improv; pretty much whatever he runs into.
Jon spent 17 years working in Japan, learning to be Lean, Agile, and to flow with work. He
won’t toe-dip. He dives in head-first and goes deep. He returns to the surface with ideas which
are uncommon, unconventional, and simple, but just might work when nothing else will. (Think:
MacGyver without the mullet.) Jon has literally won a competitive Japanese game show (The
Magic Lamp, 1997) paired with his wife’s grandfather.
During his travels to Japan, Jon set up the Xbox and Apple Xserve call centers, and took call
escalations in Japanese for many years. Making a difference in people’s lives by being of
service to them, is his passion. Jon brings many people together to discover what’s possible,
when facing a challenge. He emboldens emerging leadership everywhere in the enterprise.
Coaching teams and leaders is a passion of Jon’s. He won’t fix or protect people, because they
don’t need it. Instead he gets curious about them, and what they really care about. If they feel
“stuck” he helps them find their way to break through. That’s Jon’s happy place; where people
are being awesome and are acknowledged for their greatness.
He sees the irony in life, sees his mistakes, and relishes learning from both. He appreciates the
counter-intuitive bits of work, and rolls with it. He feels he’s at his best amidst uncertainty.
Based in Mission Viejo, California, if given the opportunity to sail a boat, Jon will try even in
gusty conditions. He has capsized more than once; no damage nor casualties. On weekends
his wife and children don’t sail with him, and keep his phone dry.