Beyond the Title: Fern Johnson on Real Leadership

September 8, 2025

Beyond the Title: Fern Johnson on Real Leadership

In our premiere episode, Fern Johnson shares her journey as CTO at PepsiCo—navigating career pivots, leading major tech transformations, and offering bold, inclusive leadership insights. Hear real stories of pressure, persistence, and purpose from a leader who’s lived it in Fortune 500 boardrooms and beyond.

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About The Event

How do you lead over 400 people through digital transformation while keeping empathy at the forefront?

That’s exactly what our first guest shares in this episode of Rise and Real.

Anamika Jain sits down with Fern Johnson, a global technology leader who spent three decades at PepsiCo, including serving as the company’s Chief Technology Officer. From leading large-scale operations to steering high-stakes transformations, Fern opens up about the real moments that shaped her leadership approach.
You’ll hear about pivotal challenges where projects needed complete turnarounds — and how Fern discovered that putting people first drives stronger business outcomes. Recognized among the “Top 100 Executive Women in Tech” and honored as “Mentor of the Year,” she brings candid insights from leading at the highest levels of enterprise technology.
Curious about the leadership truths nobody talks about? Watch the full episode and learn from someone who’s actually done it.

Key Leadership Takeaways You Can Expect:

  • 1
    3 decades of tech leadership lessons – Fern’s journey from early technology roles to becoming CTO of one of the world’s largest consumer brands
  • 2
    Enterprise-wide digital transformation strategies – Real insights from leading large-scale digital initiatives at PepsiCo
  • 3
    Breaking barriers in tech – What it means to be among the top 100 most influential women in technology
  • 4
    Navigating complexity in global organizations – Wisdom on how to manage pivotal moments that shape professional trajectories
  • 5
    The power of empathetic leadership – Why emotional intelligence drives better business outcomes

About Our Speakers

Fern Johnson

Former CTO PepsiCo

Fern Johnson brings over 30 years of transformational leadership experience from one of the world's most recognized brands. As PepsiCo's former CTO and Vice President of Infrastructure & Operations, she led a team of 400+ technologists while overseeing global IT infrastructure and delivering exceptional user experiences across the enterprise.

Anamika Jain

Director of Strategic Partnerships, BuzzClan

Anamika Jain (Anna) is a strategic partnerships expert and accomplished podcast host who brings a unique perspective to leadership conversations. As Director of Strategic Partnerships at BuzzClan, she specializes in building transformational business relationships and driving growth through strategic alliances.