Kate Johnson, the chief executive of Lumen Technologies, has a story she likes to tell about how she met one of her closest professional allies. A few years ago, at a breakfast tied to a Business Roundtable event, Johnson walked up to Janet Truncale, who had just been named global chair and chief executive of EY, and asked her directly: will you be my best friend. Johnson has said she asked because she wanted the day to go better, and Truncale agreed. Johnson later helped Truncale track down her name tag before the seating filled up, a small favor that became the start of a real relationship.
Both women describe themselves as introverts, which makes the blunt approach stand out even more. What began as a personal connection eventually turned into a professional one: EY later won a contract to help transform Lumen's network inventory, giving the two executives a reason to work together beyond the conference circuit.
The partnership fits EY's broader business model. The firm generated roughly $57 billion in global revenue last year, and about a quarter of that came through alliances and ecosystem partners rather than EY's own direct client work, making relationships like the one with Lumen a meaningful part of how the firm grows.