James A. Johnson

Areas of Expertise

Corporate finance, investment policy and strategy, political strategy, national Democratic politics, domestic and foreign policy

Biography

James A. Johnson is a vice chairman of Perseus. Prior to joining Perseus in 2001, Johnson served as vice chairman (1990), Chairman and chief executive Officer (1991 to 1998), and chairman of the executive committee (1999) of Fannie Mae. Johnson also served as managing director in corporate finance at Lehman Brothers and as president of Public Strategies, a Washington, D.C.-based consulting firm he founded to advise corporations on strategic issues. From 1977 to 1981, Johnson was executive assistant to Vice President Walter F. Mondale, where he advised the Vice President on domestic and foreign policy and political matters. Earlier, he was employed by the Dayton Hudson Corporation, worked as a staff member in the U.S. Senate, and was on the faculty of Princeton University.

Johnson served as chairman of The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and is former chairman and honorary trustee of the board of trustees of The Brookings Institution. He also serves on the boards of directors of The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc., Target Corporation, and Forestar Real Estate Group. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the Council of the National Museum of African American History.

Johnson holds a bachelor of art in political science from the University of Minnesota and a master's in Public Policy from the Woodrow Wilson School at Princeton University. In 1999, Johnson received an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from Howard University. He also has received an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Skidmore College, an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from Augsburg College, an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Colby College, and an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree from the University of Minnesota.

Resume (PDF)

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