NEW YORK — Michael W. Johnson has joined the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) as chief strategy officer (CSO), reporting to ASME executive director/CEO Tom Costabile.

In this newly created role, Johnson is a change agent responsible for working with the executive leadership team and senior volunteer leaders, including the board of governors, to formalize the organization’s strategic planning processes, forge new working relationships and synergies across the organization, and establish greater transparency and accountability.

“As ASME grows and evolves, it’s fundamentally important that our strategy is continually refined, updated, and closely aligned with other society activities,” said Costabile. “Michael brings a wealth of experience and expertise, which will be of enormous benefit to ASME as we prepare for the future. With his help, we will foster even more engagement and collaboration with the global engineering community and continue to make a positive impact on lives and livelihoods.”

Johnson has provided consulting services to ASME for the past several months. Most recently, he was managing partner and CEO of Johnson Williams Capital Partners, an investment firm that has partnered with innovators and entrepreneurs in technology, health care, biopharma, and sustainability. Previously, he held a variety of executive positions at Svelte Medical Systems, JP Morgan Chase, African Continental Telecommunications Ltd., the National Football League, and AT&T. His work has been recognized by Fortune, Black Enterprise, and CIO magazines.

Johnson has a history of active involvement in several civic and professional organizations, serving as a trustee of the Boys and Girls Club of Newark, New Jersey, as a member of the board of advisors to the Lally Business School at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York, and currently with the Montgomery Academy in Basking Ridge, New Jersey, which provides therapeutic services to students ages 5-21 who are experiencing social, emotional, and educational challenges not met by their local schools. He was named the National Kidney Foundation’s “Man of the Year” in 1992.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration and economics from Defiance College in Defiance, Ohio, and his MBA in finance from Rutgers University in New Jersey. For more information, visit www.asme.org.