Kate Johnson, ‘89, president and CEO of Lumen Technologies, will address the graduates at Lehigh’s 157th Undergraduate Spring Commencement on May 18 at Stabler Arena.
The alumna has held executive leadership roles at major companies, including Microsoft, Oracle, which focuses on computer software, and GE Digital, which provides software to industrial companies.
Johnson graduated from Lehigh with a degree in electrical engineering and began her career at Bell Labs, an industrial research and development company. However, she said it didn’t take long for her to realize this wasn’t the path she wanted to pursue long term.
She said there’s often pressure for college graduates to stick to the career associated with their bachelor’s degree, especially after investing so much time and effort in that area. But she said her Lehigh education taught her not to fold under those pressures.
Upon reflection, Johnson said she realized her engineering degree gave her a strong foundation in problem-solving and taught her how to unpack problems. She said the degree, as well as her time at Lehigh in general, taught her to not only embrace change but to seek it out.
“You go do whatever it is that you want to do and know that the time that you spent at Lehigh was preparing you for whatever that might be,” she said.
Following her time at Bell Labs, Johnson moved into a sales role at AT&T. However, she said she realized then she needed more perspective to succeed in business, which motivated her to pursue an MBA at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
After receiving her MBA, she spent several years in consulting, leading change programs and exploring different industries and their functions. She said she came to learn that there maybe wasn’t a specific destination for her. Instead, she simply enjoyed the ever-evolving trajectory of her career and problem-solving.
“I love change, and so, the more change the better,” she said. “And some people aren’t like that. They like business as usual. But Lehigh really prepared me for this change (and) leadership journey that I have been on.”
Johnson said this mindset has been key to her success in navigating different industries.
“It is the notion of understanding that if you think you have the answer, you’re really leaving behind the opportunity to explore opportunities,” she said.
She said the best problem solvers have the ability to use a company’s resources and drive the best set of outcomes. Whether in sports, the business world or a political career, she said she finds most successes by going in committed to not knowing the answer but being willing to work to figure it out.
For the class of 2025, Johnson said she wants students to know that committing to learning, being fact-based and surrounding oneself with great people are things that can be controlled in a time when life feels worrisome and messy. She also said these skills are extremely helpful in finding opportunities.
While she said she had no idea while in college that the people she was spending time with would be in her life for years to come, Johnson met her husband at Lehigh and remains close friends with her two college roommates. She said she believes this is a testament to the lifelong relationships that can be formed on campus.
She said the university has produced “impressive executives” over the years, and she frequently crosses paths with Lehigh alumni in both her personal and professional life.
“There’s this connection of what we all went through on South Mountain, and it’s a bond that I feel is really special,” Johnson said.
Sean Hazard, ‘25, will graduate this spring with a degree in computer engineering. He said he’s most interested in hearing about Johnson’s career path at the commencement ceremony.
He said he values personal stories and meaningful advice during moments of transition, like graduation, and he hopes to hear that in her speech.
“I think that her path that she followed, pivoting from engineering to business, is important, and I want to hear her perspective on that,” Hazard said.
Gabby Russell, ‘25, who is studying accounting and finance, said she was thrilled to hear the commencement speaker is a woman in the Fortune 500 2024 list.
She also said she looks forward to hearing about Johnson’s experience at Lehigh and her transition from graduating to post graduation.
“While I know the best is yet to come, I am nervous about graduating,” Russell said. “I look forward to the insights Kate Johnson has to provide on a successful post grad.”
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