Will Johnson (executive)
Will Johnson | |
|---|---|
 Portrait of Will Johnson taken in 2024. | |
| Born | 1979 (age 44–45)[1] |
| Alma mater | Northwestern University, Lafayette College |
| Occupation | Chief executive officer |
| Employer | The Harris Poll |
Will Johnson is an American business executive who serves as chief executive officer of The Harris Poll.
Early life and education
[edit]Johnson was born in Winnetka, Illinois.[2] He attended Crow Island School, where his first grade teacher noticed his reading and speaking abilities did not match, leading to him being diagnosed with dyslexia.[3] He majored in government and law, graduating magna cum laude from Lafayette College in 2002. His honors thesis was about the political impact of Millennials.[4][5] Johnson also earned a Master of Business Administration degree from Northwestern University in 2008.[1][4]
Career and board service
[edit]Johnson worked for Young & Rubicam Group after earning his undergraduate degree. Following graduate school, he returned to the company as chief strategist for BrandAsset Valuator, a database of brand and consumer behavior. In 2015, he was promoted to president of BAV Consulting.[1][4]
Johnson assumed the role of co-chief executive officer of The Harris Poll,[6] alongside John Gerzema in 2017; Johnson oversees the human resources and business units, including a team of 200 pollsters.[3][7] Johnson and Gerzema were recruited by The Harris Poll's parent company, Stagwell Group. Johnson worked to migrate clients from one-time research to ongoing consulting contracts, and reworked the company's surveys to focus on smartphone users.[4] Johnson has been described as an optimist about the polling industry, noting that he believes pollsters need to improve their methodology and rebuild public trust.[8][9]
Johnson has written for various publications including The Boston Globe, the Chicago Tribune, and The Washington Post,[10] and has served on the board of directors for Tutoring Chicago.[11]
Personal life
[edit]As of 2024, Johnson lived in Chicago with his wife and two children.[1] He is a member of the Young Presidents' Organization and the Economic Club of Chicago.[11]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d Shelton, LeeAnn (April 3, 2024). "Transforming legendary public opinion firm Harris Poll". Kellogg School of Management. Retrieved April 3, 2024.
- ^ Rosa Royle, Oriana (February 4, 2024). "2 generations, 1 corner office: 20 years separate the Harris Poll's co-CEOS, but millennial boss Will Johnson says there's more common ground with boomers than you'd expect". Fortune. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
- ^ a b Hulvalchick, Alex (March 19, 2024). "Evanston pollster encourages people to think beyond the data". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
- ^ a b c d Smith, Scott S. (November 16, 2023). "How JFK's Pollster Turned Into An Advisor To Top CEOs". Investor's Business Daily. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
- ^ "William Johnson '02 Gauges Political Significance of "Millennial Generation"". Lafayette News. Lafayette College. 15 January 2002. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
- ^ "The surprising compatibility of co-CEOs from different generations". Optimist Daily. March 11, 2024. Retrieved May 16, 2024.
- ^ "Is It Time to Consider Co-CEOs?". Harvard Business Review. 2022. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
- ^ Luscombe, Belinda (October 23, 2022). "America Is Less Divided Than We Think, Says Harris Poll CEO". Time. Retrieved April 2, 2024.
- ^ "Optimist Pollster Finds Americans Are Far More Alike Than Different, With Shared Values Bridging Political Divides". Good News Network. March 24, 2024. Retrieved May 16, 2024.
- ^ Prince, Erich J. (May 3, 2022). "Harris Poll's Will Johnson: Why Polling Still Matters". Merion West. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
- ^ a b Carlozzo, Lou (June 29, 2023). "Straight talk on the polling profession with The Harris Poll CEO Will Johnson". Talking Biz News. Retrieved March 25, 2024.