William R. Johnson
Encyclopedia
William R. Johnson is president, CEO
and chairman of H. J. Heinz
.
He worked at Drackett
as an assistant product manager for Behold
furniture polish, starting at $13,000 a year. He worked at Ralston
, Frito-Lay
and Anderson-Clayton Foods before joining Heinz in 1982 as general manager of new business.
In 1988, as president and CEO of the poorly performing Heinz Pet Products, he turned around a poorly performing operation which some analysts had proclaimed unsalvageable. In 1992, he did the same thing at the highly visible Starkist Foods. In 1993 he was named senior vice president and director, in 1996 president and COO
, and in 1998, named president and CEO. In 2000, he became chairman as well.
Johnson is fiscally conservative, focusing on cost-containment, and the performance of major brands, as he faces stiff competition and pricing demands from wholesalers. He is described by coworkers as incredibly intense; he agrees with that assessment.
He credits his father, Bill "Tiger" Johnson with instilling him with a fiercely competitive spirit and a passionate desire to win. Tiger Johnson was a center for the San Francisco 49ers
and then head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals
. Johnson also learned motivation from his father and other coaches. In the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
, he told reporter Patricia Sabatini that, "Some people need to be handled gently. Other people you can kick in the rear end" (May 18, 1998).
Johnson was born in, grew up in Palo Alto
, and married his wife, Susie, in 1974. They have two children, Brad and Tracy, who are also pursuing careers in business. Bill is also a proud new grandfather, welcoming his grandson William Daniel Johnson on June 7, 2008.
On February 11, 2009, the UPS
(NYSE:UPS) Board of Directors today elected William R. Johnson, the chairman, president and CEO of the H. J. Heinz Company
, as a new independent director of the company.
Chief executive officer
A chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...
and chairman of H. J. Heinz
H. J. Heinz Company
The H. J. Heinz Company , commonly known as Heinz and famous for its "57 Varieties" slogan and its ketchup, is an American food company with world headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.Perhaps best known for its ketchup, the H.J...
.
He worked at Drackett
Drackett
The Drackett Company was a leading company in the specialty chemicals business during the 20th century, responsible for such products as Windex glass cleaner, Vanish toilet bowl cleaner, Drāno drain opener, Behold furniture polish, Endust dusting aid, Renuzit air freshener, Mr. Muscle oven...
as an assistant product manager for Behold
Behold
Behold is a brand of Furniture Polish produced by the Sara Lee Corporation. Behold furniture polish and Endust dusting aid were previously produced by Drackett. When Drackett was sold to S. C. Johnson & Son in 1992, these two products, Endust and Behold, were sold to Sara Lee. in 2010 the product...
furniture polish, starting at $13,000 a year. He worked at Ralston
Ralston
Ralston is a small, suburban settlement in Renfrewshire, Scotland, bordering onto the eastern edge of the town of Paisley...
, Frito-Lay
Frito-Lay
Frito-Lay North America is the division of PepsiCo that manufactures, markets and sells corn chips, potato chips and other snack foods. The primary snack food brands produced under the Frito-Lay name include Fritos corn chips, Cheetos cheese-flavored snacks, Doritos and Tostitos tortilla chips,...
and Anderson-Clayton Foods before joining Heinz in 1982 as general manager of new business.
In 1988, as president and CEO of the poorly performing Heinz Pet Products, he turned around a poorly performing operation which some analysts had proclaimed unsalvageable. In 1992, he did the same thing at the highly visible Starkist Foods. In 1993 he was named senior vice president and director, in 1996 president and COO
Chief operating officer
A Chief Operating Officer or Director of Operations can be one of the highest-ranking executives in an organization and comprises part of the "C-Suite"...
, and in 1998, named president and CEO. In 2000, he became chairman as well.
Johnson is fiscally conservative, focusing on cost-containment, and the performance of major brands, as he faces stiff competition and pricing demands from wholesalers. He is described by coworkers as incredibly intense; he agrees with that assessment.
He credits his father, Bill "Tiger" Johnson with instilling him with a fiercely competitive spirit and a passionate desire to win. Tiger Johnson was a center for the San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
and then head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
. Johnson also learned motivation from his father and other coaches. In the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, also known simply as the "PG," is the largest daily newspaper serving metropolitan Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.-Early history:...
, he told reporter Patricia Sabatini that, "Some people need to be handled gently. Other people you can kick in the rear end" (May 18, 1998).
Johnson was born in, grew up in Palo Alto
Palo Alto, California
Palo Alto is a California charter city located in the northwest corner of Santa Clara County, in the San Francisco Bay Area of California, United States. The city shares its borders with East Palo Alto, Mountain View, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Stanford, Portola Valley, and Menlo Park. It is...
, and married his wife, Susie, in 1974. They have two children, Brad and Tracy, who are also pursuing careers in business. Bill is also a proud new grandfather, welcoming his grandson William Daniel Johnson on June 7, 2008.
On February 11, 2009, the UPS
United Parcel Service
United Parcel Service, Inc. , typically referred to by the acronym UPS, is a package delivery company. Headquartered in Sandy Springs, Georgia, United States, UPS delivers more than 15 million packages a day to 6.1 million customers in more than 220 countries and territories around the...
(NYSE:UPS) Board of Directors today elected William R. Johnson, the chairman, president and CEO of the H. J. Heinz Company
H. J. Heinz Company
The H. J. Heinz Company , commonly known as Heinz and famous for its "57 Varieties" slogan and its ketchup, is an American food company with world headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.Perhaps best known for its ketchup, the H.J...
, as a new independent director of the company.
Education
- University of California, Los AngelesUniversity of California, Los AngelesThe University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses...
, BABachelor's degreeA bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
, 1971 - McCombs School of BusinessMcCombs School of BusinessThe McCombs School of Business, also referred to as the McCombs School or simply McCombs, is a business school at The University of Texas at Austin. In addition to the main Austin campus, McCombs offers classes outside Central Texas in Dallas, Houston and internationally in Mexico City...
, University of Texas at AustinUniversity of Texas at AustinThe University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
, MBAMaster of Business AdministrationThe Master of Business Administration is a :master's degree in business administration, which attracts people from a wide range of academic disciplines. The MBA designation originated in the United States, emerging from the late 19th century as the country industrialized and companies sought out...
, 1974 - Alpha Tau OmegaAlpha Tau OmegaAlpha Tau Omega is a secret American leadership and social fraternity.The Fraternity has more than 250 active and inactive chapters, more than 200,000 initiates, and over 7,000 active undergraduate members. The 200,000th member was initiated in early 2009...
Fraternity