Our Family Story

Helen Johnson-Leipold

Education: BA degree in psychology from Cornell University, 1978

Experience: Helen Johnson-Leipold is a graduate of Cornell University with over 25 years of marketing and senior management experience. She began her career at Foote, Cone & Belding in Chicago in 1979, directing the advertising for some of America's leading consumer packaged goods companies, including Kraft and Beatrice Foods. Helen joined SC Johnson in September 1985 in the product management area and served in a variety of sales and marketing positions of increasing responsibility before being named Vice President - Consumer Marketing Services, Worldwide in 1992. Helen moved to Johnson Outdoors, a leading global outdoor recreation products company, as Executive Vice President of North American businesses in 1995. She returned briefly to    SC Johnson in 1997 as Vice President, Personal & Home Care Products. In March 1999, Helen was elected Chairman and CEO of Johnson Outdoors Inc., and in July 2004, was also elected Chairman, Johnson Financial Group, the global financial services company founded by her father, Sam Johnson. Helen leads both of these family companies from their worldwide headquarters in The Johnson Building, designed by “green architecture” pioneer William McDonough.

Helen also serves as a director of S.C. Johnson & Son, Inc. and JohnsonDiversey, Inc. She is Chairman of The Johnson Foundation and a Trustee of The SC Johnson Fund, Inc. and, serves on the boards of The Prairie School, Sustainable Racine and the Cornell Athletic Advisory Board. Helen is the founder and Chairman of the Board of Next Generation Now, a pioneering child development and family support program.