Early Life
Helen Johnson-Leipold was born in Racine, Wisconsin, in 1956, to Samuel Curtis Johnson Jr. and Imogene Powers Johnson. Her great-great-grandfather founded S.C. Johnson & Son in 1886. She graduated from Cornell University with a B.S. in psychology. After college, she spent eight years in advertising at Foote, Cone & Belding.
Rise to Success
Helen Johnson-Leipold began her career at Foote, Cone & Belding in Chicago in 1979. She joined S. C. Johnson & Son in September 1985, eventually becoming Vice President, Worldwide Consumer Products in 1997. In March 1999, she was elected Chairman and CEO of Johnson Outdoors, and in July 2004, she became Chairman of Johnson Financial Group. She is the first female in five generations to lead a major Johnson family enterprise.
Key Business Strategies
Helen Johnson-Leipold leads Johnson Outdoors, a publicly-traded outdoor recreation equipment company. The company’s history traces back to the 1970s when it evolved from diversification efforts by S. C. Johnson & Son. Johnson Outdoors has operations in 24 locations worldwide and employs 1,400 people. She has emphasized innovation and sustainability in the outdoor industry, leading to significant revenue generation through brands like Minn Kota and Humminbird.
Philanthropy
Johnson-Leipold is involved in numerous civic and charitable organizations. She founded and chaired Next Generation Now, an organization focused on child development and family education. She also chairs The Johnson Foundation at Wingspread, which supports initiatives in environmental conservation, democracy, and health. In 2017, she and her siblings pledged $150 million to Cornell University to fund the SC Johnson College of Business.
