Full-time UST MBA

Meet Steffan Johnson

"I really believe that people who come out of UST are not only equipped to make decisions, they are equipped to make a difference."

After obtaining an undergraduate degree in Business Administration and International Business with a minor in Japanese from UST, I joined 3M as a supply chain and logistics analyst. In 1999, I left Minnesota to become an IT consultant with Ultimus, Inc., in Cary, NC. While at Ultimus, I designed, developed, deployed and managed intranet and Internet Web-based business process solutions for Fortune 500 clients including Microsoft, General Electric, Siemens, SAS, EDS and Lockheed Martin.  

In 2003, I returned to Minnesota to start my own consulting business, S.R. Johnson & Associates, and pursue my M.B.A. from the University of St. Thomas Opus College of Business. I selected the University of St. Thomas because of its academic reputation, particularly in entrepreneurship. I was also drawn to the core curriculum. It was comforting to know I would walk out after two years having mastered baseline business skills that would complement my extensive professional background. St. Thomas’ strong sense of community and diversity, its venerable alumni’s ties to the school, its students and its small size were all qualities that made me choose the UST MBA.

St. Thomas's core curriculum combines a foundation in fundamental management knowledge with courses in essential skills, such as leadership, ethics and communication, to prepare us for senior-level management. We were privileged to learn from one of academia's most respected experts in the field of ethics, Dr. Kenneth Goodpaster. My M.B.A. education has exposed me to innovative, exciting, thought-provoking dynamic people. For example, I was given access to people such as Ken Melrose, former CEO and Chairman of The Toro Company, and Bill Gates, Microsoft's founder. 

After attending St. Thomas, I feel empowered. I feel I have the knowledge base that I need in order to succeed in the business world. I’ve also developed an expanded network of friends, peers and colleagues, as well as professors. If I ever need help, they're there to reach out to. I think that those are the two keys to leadership in the business world: the knowledge and know-how to execute any mission and a strong network of friends.

I am currently the CEO of a small medical supply and equipment company, Stratus Medical Group. Stratus’ success depends on providing medical products with professional commitment, energy and skill—qualities I honed at St. Thomas. Before I came to St. Thomas, there was no way I could walk into a company like General Electric, where I interned, and feel the level of comfort and confidence speaking about marketing or formulate my business unit's strategy with analytics to back it up. I really believe that people who come out of UST are not only equipped to make decisions, they are equipped to make a difference.

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