In one of Edwina Lenz’s first computer technology courses, Prof. Jeffrey Whitten declared that “50 percent of you will fail this class.” She was determined to prove him wrong. She credits her parents with teaching her the value of doing her best and trying hard to accomplish her goals, including passing Whitten’s course.
Her more immediate goal is to use her degree and professional experiences to make a positive impact in the healthcare arena. As a vice president for Johnson and Johnson, she is well positioned to fulfill that goal. Lenz is responsible for the overall strategic and operational management of the surgical care and comprehensive care groups’ global SAP deployment projects. This will result in systems implementations in over 60 manufacturing locations and 14 countries around the world.
Lenz began her 10-year career with Johnson and Johnson as the director of information management for DePuy. Her other positions included vice president and chief information officer for DePuy as well as director of supply chain strategy for Johnson and Johnson’s Global Supply Chain organization. Prior to that, she spent 12 years in a variety of positions at Kellogg Company, including four years in Latin America. She is fluent in Spanish and Portuguese.
To contribute to her profession, she spent two years on the Peoplesoft International Customer Advisory Board, including one year as president.
Lenz lives in Fort Wayne, Indiana, with her son.
This was originally written for the Distinguished Technology Alumni Awards in 2009.