Microsoft Executive Goes The Distance To Get Deals Done
With three kids, four dogs, and a demanding job, it’s hard to believe Peggy Johnson has any time to train for marathons. But the executive vice president of business development for Microsoft manages to carve out space in between meetings, travel, and caring for her family for a few runs and even uses them to help in negotiations. In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, she explained there is a business tie into her athletic pursuits.
“When I run with customers, the goal is to go just fast enough so they can’t talk much and I can dominate the conversation.”
Johnson has been pounding the pavement, literally and figuratively, across the globe. She has completed marathons in India, London, Tokyo, Boston, Chicago, and New York City. Johnson, who graduated from San Diego State with a degree in electrical engineering, says running is her passion and something she needs to stay sharp.
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“Running has kept me in the tech industry for 30 years. On those long, frustrating days, it’s my salvation.”
Johnson, who lives just outside of Seattle, has built her business career the way an elite athlete would: through hard work, dedication, commitment, and great sacrifice. In an interview with the HuffPost, Johnson has some encouragement for women who might not want to run as far as she does, but rather follow in her footsteps in the business world.
“My advice to women pursuing a career in technology and or business: define your own brand of leadership and bring your own unique perspective to whatever it is that you do. The authentic you is the very best you can contribute.”
