Stephen Friedman is an American economist. He is a former chairman of the US President's Intelligence Advisory Board and former chair of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. He was nominated on October 27, 2005, to replace Brent Scowcroft in the position.

The National Economic Council (NEC) is the principal forum used by the president of the United States for the consideration of domestic and international economic policy matters with senior policymaking and Cabinet officials, and forms part of the Office of Policy Development which is within the Executive Office of the President of the United States.