Adobe appoints Vice President of Government Affairs and Public Policy

Johnson joins Adobe with both strong technology industry experience and a broad background in government and public policy issues. He previously served as the chief of staff to U.S. Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah. In that role, Johnson supported the senator’s leadership on the U.S. Senate Committees on Finance; Judiciary; Health, Education, Labor & Pensions (HELP); and Intelligence. In Johnson’s senate career, he worked across almost every facet of government operations in order to develop and ensure execution of Hatch’s legislative agenda, drive media strategy and increase the senator’s national and international influence.

Based in Adobe’s Washington, D.C., office, Johnson will join Adobe’s director of public policy, Paul Hughes, to work with government entities and industry associations on a range of public policy issues. Hughes has extensive international experience from his time with the U.S. Department of State. In Washington, Hughes served with the National Security Council in the Clinton White House and on the staff of Secretary of State Warren Christopher before coming to Adobe in 1998 to open its government relations and public policy department.

In addition to public policy, Johnson will also advocate for the role of technology in helping federal agencies meet their information, collaboration and open government needs. Adobe has recently expanded its overall presence and workforce in the Washington, D.C., market in recognition of both its policy significance and market potential.

Prior to joining Hatch’s staff in 2002, Johnson was one of the first employees of Corvis Corporation, a successful startup company which went public in July 2000 and was later purchased by Level 3. Johnson served as director of finance, working with the executive team to build the company into an international entity with more than 3,500 employees worldwide and a market cap of $40 billion. Johnson joined Corvis from his role as manager of financial analysis and planning at VISA InterActive, a wholly-owned subsidiary of VISA International, which concentrated on building out the nation’s home banking infrastructure in the mid-1990s.

Johnson earned a master’s degree in business administration from The George Washington University and a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Brigham Young University.