Fletcher Jones Takes Over as CEO While Co-Founder Stephen Bailey Transitions to Board Chair
ExecOnline, the pioneer of online leadership development, today announced the appointment of Fletcher Jones as Chief Executive Officer. Co-founder and longtime CEO Stephen Bailey will transition to Board Chair, continuing to support school partner relationships, key customers and innovation initiatives. The leadership transition marks a natural evolution for ExecOnline following a significant business model transformation, strong operating momentum, and a new strategic investment to support its next phase of profitable growth and innovation.
“As we’ve come through a meaningful transformation of our business model, the end of 2025 was incredibly validating,” said Bailey. “We exceeded and raised our initial Q4 top-line guidance, driven by strong performance from our existing customers. With renewed momentum and a clear path to profitable growth, this is the right moment to bring in a CEO who combines deep industry expertise, operational strength, and proven leadership through founder transitions. Fletcher is exactly the right leader to guide ExecOnline into its next chapter.”
Jones joins ExecOnline with deep experience in education technology and enterprise learning, including leadership roles at EVERFI and CEB (now part of Gartner). Across these roles, Jones focused on driving product innovation, customer outcomes, and disciplined expansion.
“ExecOnline sits at the intersection of leadership, technology, and measurable impact,” said Jones. “The company has a strong foundation – exceptional university partnerships, a talented team, and a differentiated product experience. I’m honored to build on what Stephen and the team have created and to accelerate our growth in partnership with our new investors.”
Momentum Built on Execution
Over the past two years, ExecOnline has undertaken a deliberate transformation of its operating model, sharpening its focus on enterprise customers, strengthening its core product, and investing in technology that measures and enhances the impact of leadership development. The company’s investors are impressed and confident in the company’s performance, and ExecOnline has secured additional investment led by JS Partners, with participation from previous investors including Newspring Capital, ABS Capital, and Osage Ventures. The new investment will help support continued product innovations and potential acquisitions.
“ExecOnline has reached an important inflection point,” said Mike Avon, ExecOnline Board Member and Managing Partner at ABS Capital. “The company has successfully navigated a significant operating transformation while investing in meaningful product innovation, including AI-powered tools that enhance learner feedback and enable enterprises to better measure leadership development ROI, as well as new programs developed in partnership with leading business schools. With a strong foundation, significant momentum and Fletcher’s proven leadership in scaling education and technology businesses, we believe ExecOnline is well-positioned to accelerate disciplined, durable growth. We’re excited to support the team in this next chapter.”
Continuity and New Energy for Customers and Partners
ExecOnline partners with leading business schools to deliver online leadership development programs that drive measurable outcomes for enterprises worldwide. For customers and partners, the leadership transition is designed to deliver both continuity and continued cutting edge innovation.
“We are deeply committed to our customers and school partners,” Jones added. “Our strategy for profitable growth is built with our partners at the center. We believe our success is directly tied to their success – through increased utilization, stronger engagement, and programs that deliver measurable business outcomes.”
Bailey will remain closely involved with school partnerships, key customer relationships, and strategic initiatives centered around innovation in his role as Board Chair.
“ExecOnline was founded on the belief that we could make the world’s best business school programs more accessible and impactful for leaders everywhere,” Bailey said. “Over the past 13 years, we’ve helped define what online leadership development can be. As we move forward, our commitment is to continue pushing the envelope – innovating on how organizations develop their leaders and ensuring our partners remain central to that growth.”
