Lumen Technologies CEO Kate Johnson turned a chance breakfast encounter with EY's Janet Truncale into a partnership built on trust and respect, illustrating how personal connections can drive business collaboration.
01Summary
- 01Johnson approached Truncale at a Business Roundtable event and asked, 'Will you be my best friend?'
- 02Both CEOs describe themselves as introverts and initially kept their friendship private.
- 03About 25% of EY's $57 billion global revenues came from alliance and ecosystem partners last year.
- 04Johnson said she partners for expertise because she cannot allocate enough human and financial resources alone.
- 05Logitech CEO Hanneke Faber stressed the importance of bringing one's network to a corporate board.
02Why it matters
The story shows how informal, authentic connections between CEOs can lead to trusted business partnerships, offering a lesson in leadership and collaboration for executives and professionals alike.
Answers are generated by AI from the story summary; they are not investment, health or legal advice.





