Early Life
Herbert Fisk Johnson III, known as Fisk, was born on May 19, 1958, in Racine, Wisconsin. He is the son of Samuel Curtis Johnson Jr. and Imogene Powers Johnson. He is the great-great-grandson of Samuel Curtis Johnson, who founded S.C. Johnson & Son in 1886. He received five degrees from Cornell University and Cornell's Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management, including a BA in chemistry and physics, and a PhD in applied physics.
Rise to Success
Johnson joined S.C. Johnson & Son in 1987 as a marketing associate, working his way up through various management roles. He was appointed chairman in 2000 and became CEO in 2004. Under his leadership, the company has expanded its commitment to product transparency and sustainability. He has also served on two federal advisory committees—as a member of the U.S. President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology and as a member of the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative's Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiations.
Key Business Strategies
As the fifth generation to lead S.C. Johnson, Fisk Johnson has focused on innovation, transparency, and sustainability. He has emphasized the importance of understanding and addressing consumer concerns about product ingredients. Under his leadership, the company has worked to rethink and redesign its products, using more recyclable materials and increasing reuse and recycling. SC Johnson has also made strategic investments in capital expansion projects.
Philanthropy
H. Fisk Johnson and his family are known for their philanthropic efforts, supporting various charitable causes and educational institutions. They are the named benefactors of the Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management at Cornell University. In 2017, he and SC Johnson donated $150 million to Cornell to found the SC Johnson College of Business.
