Deon Johnson

Purdue University, Daniels School of Business          

Age: 47

“I’m transparent, resilient, and collaborative. I love to laugh and show kindness to others.”

Hometown: East Moline, IL

Family Members: 4

Fun fact about yourself: I celebrated my 25th birthday by skydiving out of a plane. It was terrifying, and I would never do it again. It was a bucket list item and I try to stay open to trying new things.

Undergraduate School and Degree: Illinois State University, Bachelor of Science

Where are you currently working? I work for State Farm Insurance Companies where I am the SVP of P&C Underwriting Operations. My responsibilities include business transformation, contact centers, data processing centers, training, and operations strategy.

Extracurricular Activities, Community Work and Leadership Roles: I have been an active member of Jack and Jill of America, Inc. since 2019 and held the position of grade group coordinator. I serve at BCAI Breaking Chains Advancing Increase (BCAI)- Cultural Arts & Humanities, which is an organization that provides socially aware art education and an expression platform to everyone regardless of income and in honor of every background. In 2022, I was elected to membership in the College of Arts and Sciences Hall of Fame at Illinois State University.

Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? Purdue’s EMBA program includes an action learning project. The university works with local businesses and alumni to identify real business problems. My team was assigned to work with a successful start-up micro-brewery to explore new revenue generating opportunities. We researched and designed a new product segment for the brewery. This included selecting names and designing labels for the products. It was an opportunity to implement what I learned from our Entrepreneurship, Marketing and Risk Management courses. The project helped me to see how my business acumen increased during business school.

What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? When I was selected for leadership enterprise development program, I led a project that eventually became the top business priority for our organization. It was a multi-year effort and despite many setbacks and delays, we successfully delivered the pilot phase and achieved our desired outcomes. Through this project, I was able to demonstrate my ability to align a group towards a common vision, influence without positional power, and bring together multiple business areas to collaborate and achieve results. It was the opportunity to make a significant impact on the company and ultimately, our customers that motivated me during this project.

Who was your favorite MBA professor? My favorite professor was Indiana Supreme Court Chief Justice Loretta Rush. She taught Legal and Ethics. I wasn’t sure what to expect from the course, but immediately became interested in the content because of her teaching approach. We learned legal philosophy and how to interpret legal documents, but what I most appreciated about the course was that we learned how to form and defend a position. Chief Justice Rush helped me to enhance my critical thinking skills which are essential in the business world. Personally, it was inspiring to learn from a woman with significant leadership accomplishments and that is committed to giving back to her community by teaching others.

Why did you choose this school’s executive MBA program? When I was considering the idea of going back to school and feeling ambivalent about managing multiple priorities, a mentor told me to find a program that works for me. I developed three criteria as I researched programs: flexibility, small cohort size, and dedicated professors. Purdue checked every box. The residency approach at Purdue worked best for my family, the cohort size was appealing, and I benefited tremendously from hearing about the professors’ professional experiences.

Give us a story during your time as an executive MBA on how you were able to juggle work, family and education? I was able to juggle work, family, and education with help from many others. I communicated my schedule broadly to my team, family, and friends. This included emailing my children’s teachers to make them aware when I was gone for their awareness. I learned to ask for help and prioritize my commitments. We established a routine as a family and planned when we could, but I still missed important events. I was intentional about the language I used with my children to ensure they understood this was something I wanted to do, and it would not last forever. We often did our homework together.

What advice would you give to a student looking to enter an executive MBA program? Be ready to establish dedicated time for school. It’s not something you can do in your spare time. The first part of the Purdue EMBA program was time-consuming, but it got easier to balance over time. Go with the flow and don’t expect things to be the same as they would be at your job. One of the best parts of the program is that your cohort will consist of diverse experiences, industries, and backgrounds. You must stay open to learn from others.

What is the biggest myth about going back to school? I know some people wonder if there is a point in your career when the value from business school diminishes. I think that is a myth that holds some people back. Regardless of your age or years of professional experience, you get out of a program what you put into it. I was not the only executive in my cohort, and we started the program for different reasons. I was already an executive, yet my financial acumen increased, and my understanding of the external environment was broadened.

What was your biggest regret in business school? When I make decisions, I don’t look back. I committed to getting all I could out of the program. Going back to school was humbling, challenging, and rewarding. I’m glad I did it.

Which MBA classmate do you most admire? This is an easy question. On the first day of class, Jackie challenged the perspective of the professor, and I knew immediately we would be friends. Not only was she an outstanding student, but she was also always willing to help other students. Jackie is the person you always want on your team, academically and professionally, but that is not why I admire Jackie. I admire Jackie because of the person that she is. She stood up for our cohort, helped others find their voices, and boldly said things that others would hesitate to say. She is someone that I rely on for a good laugh and honest opinion. She is the friend I did not know I needed, but I’m grateful to have met her.

What was the main reason you chose an executive MBA program over part-time or online alternatives? One of my mentors spoke fondly about the relationships he gained from business school. I knew I wanted to build relationships and experience business school with others. Growing up, my mother relied on a village of people that helped her to manage being a single parent. I wanted to share my strengths and experiences and learn from others. The Purdue EMBA program gave me the best of both worlds.

What is your ultimate long-term professional goal? There is no ultimate professional goal for me. I will continue to use my platform to make a difference and contribute at high levels. I’m passionate about solving complex problems, developing others, and achieving results by helping customers. I’m fortunate that my core values align with the organization that I work for and want to continue to contribute to the success of our organization.

What made Deon such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2023?

“It has been a delight having Deon in the Purdue EMBA program. Deon has definitely embraced the cohort approach to learning. She is known to be a servant leader, believing her role is to help others discover their strengths and how they can contribute to the success of the team by offering their perspective, thoughts, and experiences. Her team members describe her as positive, professional, courteous, and prepared. She is always ready to share a smile and a genuine laugh. Deon is a collaborative leader, reliable friend and an outstanding member of the Purdue EMBA Class of 2023.”

Donna Steele
Assistant Director of Academic Programs, EMBA
Krannert Institute
Mitchell E. Daniels, Jr. School of Business
Purdue University

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