Publisher Steve Jahn presents Jill Johnson with the rare Circle of Excellence Award for Top Women in Finance.
November 22, 2013 – Minneapolis, MN – Jill J. Johnson, president and founder of Johnson Consulting Services, has been honored as one of the Top Women in the Finance for 2013 by Finance & Commerce magazine. This is the second time Johnson has been recognized with this award. This year only four women achieved the rare Circle of Excellence status. Johnson was recognized at an awards ceremony dinner attended by more than 500 people on Thursday, November 21, 2013.
Honorees are selected by Finance & Commerce staff. Finance & Commerce recognizes 50 top women each year who are making outstanding contributions in their financial and business professions and who are proven leaders in their communities throughout Minnesota.
The 2013 Top Women recipients include not only accountants but also bankers, law partners, CEOs, CFOs, presidents, vice presidents, entrepreneurs and financial advisers. Some oversee billions of dollars of transactions and assets and are involved in some of the highest-profile developments in Minnesota.
“These women are among the best business minds in Minnesota,” said Johnson. “Being selected again by Finance & Commerce to be ranked among this influential group of women professionals is an amazing honor.”
This is Johnson’s third major business award in 2013. In April she became one of the first women ever inducted into the Minnesota Women Business Owners Hall of Fame. She also received the Women in Business Champion Award in early November from the National Association of Women Business Owners chapter in Minnesota.
After honing her skills in the Consulting Division of a major international public accounting firm, Johnson started her own management consulting practice in 1987. She now leverages her financial insight and expertise in market feasibility studies to incorporate these techniques into effective strategy development by focusing on evaluating the true market viability of the revenue side of financials.
As a leader, Johnson has been appointed to two federal boards serving under three different presidents representing both political parties. She is currently serving on a federal board for the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). Johnson also serves as the Chair of the state advisory board for the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED). The Small Business Development Center Advisory Board’s role is to advise the state director on program operations.
Johnson served three terms on the National Board of Directors of the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) and was the youngest-ever president of the Minnesota Chapter of NAWBO. She is the first woman to ever receive the President-Emeritus status distinction from NAWBO. She has served on the Board of Directors of the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce and the Greater Minneapolis Chamber of Commerce.
Johnson’s other accomplishments include working with various agencies to promote international trade for women business owners from France, Denmark, Canada, and numerous countries in Africa and the Middle East. Johnson is an active mentor to a number of young professionals in the Twin Cities and she speaks often at leadership conferences for college students and young professionals. She is an accomplished genealogist and also trains her Rottweilers as therapy dogs.
To read more or access the full list of winners: http://finance-commerce.com/category/special-sections/top-women-in-finance/
About Johnson Consulting Services: An award winning management consultant specializing in market-based strategy development, Jill J. Johnson has personally impacted nearly $3 billion worth of business decisions. She is an expert at strategic planning, conducting market studies, turnaround studies and developing strategies for growth. Jill assists her clients in evaluating critical decisions and assessing the impact of market forces to develop strategic and business plans at both the board and operating level. For more information, visit www.jcs-usa.com.
About Finance and Commerce: Finance and Commerce is Minnesota’s daily business newspaper and online resource, reporting on all areas of Minnesota commerce with a special emphasis on: Banking, Construction, Real Estate, Energy and Technology. It is also the official legal notice paper for Minneapolis and Hennepin County. Finance and Commerce is owned and operated by Finance and Commerce, Inc., a division of Dolan Media Company (NYSE: DM). www.finance-commerce.com.
