Business · Companies · 4 hrs ago
Lumen CEO says business leaders need stronger partnerships to make decisions
Lumen CEO Kate Johnson says companies need partners beyond their own leadership teams to make decisions in a fast-changing business environment.
She said geopolitical uncertainty and the rapid growth of AI make it harder for executives to have all the facts before acting.
Instead, Johnson said leaders should test ideas, watch for new signals and adjust their plans as conditions change.
More than 80% of CEOs at AI-first companies engage outside or specialized networks, according to IBM’s 2026 CEO Study.
Business leaders also expect partnerships to matter more for growth than mergers and acquisitions, with 60% surveyed by Boston Consulting Group saying joint ventures and partnerships will be more important over the next three to five years.
Lumen’s partnership with consultancy EY began in 2025, when EY U.S. and Blue Planet formed an alliance to improve AI-powered autonomous networking, with Lumen as the first client.
Lumen Technologies CEO Kate Johnson said companies should rely on partnerships across, not only within, executive teams to make decisions.
Speaking at the Fortune Most Powerful Women Summit in Santa Barbara, California, she said rapid change makes it impossible for leaders to have all the facts before acting.
Johnson said businesses need a decision-making process that uses hypotheses, signals and expertise from inside and outside the company.
A 2026 IBM study found that more than 80% of CEOs at AI-first companies engage external or specialized partners to discuss risk and share strengths.
Lumen’s first client project with EY’s Blue Planet business followed a strategic alliance formed in June 2025 to improve autonomous networking with AI.
- Who
- Lumen Technologies CEO Kate Johnson discussed the need for stronger partnerships among business leaders.
- What
- She said companies should use partnerships and outside expertise to support faster, ongoing decision-making.
- When
- Tuesday at the Fortune Most Powerful Women Summit. The article was published on October 16, 2026.
- Where
- The summit in Santa Barbara, California.
- Why
- Geopolitical uncertainty, rapid changes in AI and shorter decision-making cycles are pushing companies to become more nimble.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Johnson approached EY CEO Janet Truncale at a Business Roundtable breakfast and asked her to be her best friend.
EY U.S. and Blue Planet formed a strategic alliance to improve autonomous networking with AI, and Lumen became the project’s first client.
Johnson spoke about decision-making and partnerships at the Fortune Most Powerful Women Summit in Santa Barbara, California.
- Speaker
- Kate Johnson, Lumen Technologies CEO
- Summit
- Fortune Most Powerful Women Summit, Santa Barbara, California
- IBM study
- More than 80% of CEOs at AI-first companies engage external or specialized partners
- EY–Blue Planet alliance
- Formed in June 2025 to improve autonomous networking with AI
- Lumen’s role
- First client of the EY–Blue Planet project
What people are saying
This notion of the boardroom and the conference room that I grew up in—we were rewarded for being right.
I’m getting signals every day, and we’re pivoting every day.
Will you be my best friend?
And I was happy to oblige.