Kate Johnson

Kate Johnson, President and CEO of Lumen Technologies, where she’s transforming a legacy telecom into the digital backbone of the AI economy.

She holds a BS in Electrical Engineering from Lehigh University and an MBA from The Wharton School.

Johnson began her career at Deloitte Consulting, then served as CIO at UBS Investment Bank before moving to Oracle, where she led North America’s technology and consulting operations. In 2017, she became President of Microsoft US, leading a $45B business and a 10,000-person team across both public and private sectors.

She joined Lumen in 2022 and quickly repositioned it as the “trusted network for AI,” leveraging its national fiber infrastructure to support hyperscalers and cloud platforms. In 2024, the company closed over $5B in AI deals.

She also overhauled Lumen’s culture and operations, turning a traditional telecom into a modern infrastructure provider built for speed, clarity, and scale.

Johnson serves on the board of UPS and  and Lumen Technologies was named one of Fortune’s Most Innovative Companies for 2025 reflecting the company’s transformation under her leadership.

Her journey is a masterclass in transformation—proving that with vision, grit, and a people-first approach, even the oldest players in tech can lead the future.