Faculty Spotlight - Michael Johnston

1. Tell us about where you grew up, where you went to school, and what brought you to Gatton.

I was born and raised in Buffalo, New York, and attended the State University of New York (SUNY) for my undergraduate degree. My career began at NCR, selling computer systems to manufacturing companies across upstate New York. While working full-time, I spent my evenings at the Rochester Institute of Technology earning my MBA.

The turning point in my life came after getting stranded in a particularly brutal snowstorm with temperatures hovering around 15 degrees below zero. I promised myself then that I’d move somewhere warmer. Within six months, I transferred to Los Angeles as a District Manager for AT&T, leading sales teams for information systems. While there, I completed an MS in Technology Management from Pepperdine University. I’ve lived in Southern California for over 40 years and still maintain my home there when I’m not teaching here in Lexington.

Before joining UK, my most recent corporate role was Director of Walmart’s Learning and Development and Sales Enablement Department. I accepted an early buyout with the specific goal of focusing on teaching professional sales at the university level. Just two weeks after giving my notice at Walmart, I saw the posting for the Director of the Sales Program at Gatton. I truly couldn’t have asked for a more interesting or ideal opportunity.

2. You have extensive sales and training experience with many corporate entities. What parts of those experiences do you bring to the classroom?

I like to break my career down into three distinct chapters, each of which influences how I teach.

• The Salesperson: I share the raw "highs and lows" of the job. It’s important to set realistic expectations; sales can be stressful and involve significant rejection, but landing a major deal that changes your life is an incredible rush.
• The Sales Leader: In this chapter, the mindset shifts from individual performance to team success. I stress to my students that leadership is about communication and critical thinking—your success is entirely tied to your ability to help others succeed.
• The Coach: This is where the "how" comes in. It’s easy to talk about sales in a lecture, but it’s difficult to actually do it. My approach is experiential. I get students out of their comfort zones early by using improvisation techniques to help them think on their feet rather than reading from a script. We use role-plays as vital tools to help them communicate effectively under pressure.

3. You were instrumental in helping the Sales Competition here at Gatton be highly successful. Tell us more about that event and what it takes to pull off something of that magnitude.

It truly takes a village to execute a competition of this scale. Because we now host two competitions and two career nights per year, our planning for the next event literally begins one week after the current one ends.

Our success is built on a dedicated community:

• Faculty & Leadership: The Dean’s Office and the Marketing Department provide the essential executive support and visibility that allow this program to thrive.
• The "Behind-the-Scenes" Team: We have incredible internal support. Lucy Tupper leads our promotional efforts; Reva Schottenstein-Reed manages the complex logistics of registration, food, and room setups; and Matt Cosgrove’s team provides the technical AV support necessary to record and review our sessions.
• Sponsors: Our corporate partners do more than just provide funding; they act as "buyers" in our role-plays and serve as judges, offering students real-time feedback and, often, internship or full-time job offers.
• The Students: They are the heart of the event. Seeing upperclassmen act as Peer Sales Coaches to mentor less-experienced students is a testament to the culture we’ve built. Their competitive spirit is what has truly driven our growth.

4. How have you seen Gatton Alumni show up for students here at Gatton, either in the classroom or outside of the classroom?

I am constantly impressed by the loyalty of UK alumni and their eagerness to "pay it forward." Even though I have only been at UK for two years, I see alumni returning to campus constantly to represent their companies at Career Nights or to volunteer as competition judges.

We frequently host alumni in our classrooms to share their real-world business experiences, which adds a layer of depth to our curriculum that a textbook simply can’t provide. Many also serve as formal mentors, providing one-on-one guidance to students navigating their career paths.

A standout example is Dan Brooks, a successful Sales VP and UK MBA alumnus. Even though the Sales Program didn't exist when he was a student, he recognized its value and established a scholarship for students in our Sales Certificate Program. We’ve awarded four Dan Brooks scholarships over the last two years and seeing that kind of direct investment in the next generation of sales leaders is incredibly inspiring.