Remembering a Wall Street Trailblazer and Aggie Mentor

Known for her intellectual curiosity, generous spirit, and quick wit, Judith Johnson Knudsen, MBA ’89, was a trailblazer whose life defied convention and left a lasting impact. Raised on a farm in Wyoming, she forged a path from classrooms to corporate boardrooms, working to become a teacher, commercial bank manager, Wall Street analyst, and Utah Public Utility Commission analyst. Her greatest impact, however, may have come through those she mentored – most notably fellow Aggie Roger McOmber, whom she mentored early in his career and who later honored her through both his successful career and a scholarship established in her name.

In the 1970s Knudsen began her climb to attain more knowledge, but it wasn’t easy. Her daughter, Aimee Owens says her mother was a lifelong learner who opened the world for her children and surprised those around her. Owens says Knudsen had to fight to go back to school to become a school teacher.

“She wasn’t content with just doing the normal. I think there was a little bit of her that wanted to escape this idea of the poor Wyoming country girl, and so she pushed herself,” Owens said. “She always wanted to learn.”

Knudsen taught school for a time but became intrigued by the opportunity to join a management training program with First Security Bank. She made the leap to finance and eventually became branch manager for the First Security Bank on Harrison Boulevard in Ogden. But Owens says her mother wanted a new challenge, so in the late 80s she enrolled in the MBA program at Utah State University (USU) where she found the confidence and connections to soar.

“It was pretty magical for her there [at USU],” Owens said. “Utah State did something to my mom; I think she surprised herself.”

After completing her MBA in 1989, Knudsen landed an internship at Salomon Brothers, a premier investment bank headquartered in New York City. As a mother of three – with two children grown and on their own and her youngest at Ogden High School – Knudsen made the decision to seize the opportunity with her family’s support. Although Owens stayed in Ogden to finish her senior year while her mother worked in New York, she says she was always proud of her and treasures the summer months they spent together in the city, saying, “I was so lucky.”

“She’s always been the standard bearer of the family where she really did some remarkable things as a woman during that time,” Owens said. “I don’t remember ever discouraging her because it was pretty incredible to have your mom work on Wall Street.”

While working as an analyst in Salomon’s electric utility group, Knudsen met fellow Aggie Roger McOmber, MBA ’91, who was just starting his internship there.  Like Knudsen, McOmber was from a rural community, calling himself a farm boy from Idaho who knew how to work.  He was one of 22 interns – most from Ivy League universities – who were vying for full-time positions at the end of the summer. It was Knudsen who showed him the ropes, and a life-long friendship formed.

“Judith took me under her wing and was very, very kind and helped me understand New York and Wall Street,” McOmber said. “It was a great opportunity, and I was lucky to work with someone like Judith.”

 At the end of the summer internship, only two of the 22 interns were offered full-time positions and McOmber was one of them. That was the start of a career spanning 11 years on Wall Street with Salomon Brothers, Oppenheimer, Brown Brothers, and Lehman Brothers. Today McOmber is the Managing Partner of McOmber Capital and has been an active angel investor for over 20 years. He says the favorite aspect of his work as an investor is a lesson learned from Knudsen – mentoring people.

“A lot of people call it venture capital, and I call it mentor capital,” McOmber said. “Mentorship is a critical part of life and in my opinion, vital for a better society; mentorship is key. We must give back some of the things that we’ve learned to the next generation.”

Knudsen’s mentorship and friendship had a profound and long-lasting effect on McOmber’s life. When Knudsen chose to leave her position at Salomon Brothers to return to family in Utah, McOmber recalls her coming to him and saying, “Why don’t you take my job?” He did and she returned to Utah where she became an analyst for the Utah Public Utility Commission to help improve the regulatory body.

But Knudsen and McOmber’s time working together wasn’t over. When McOmber moved to Lehman Brothers as Senior Vice President over the electric utility group, he called Knudsen to come back and join his team.

“She loved it; she worked for a couple of years,” McOmber said. “Judith was definitely a pioneer, but she didn’t view herself as a hero … she was very wise, but very kind and unique in that way and I think that’s why she did so well.”

Besides her work on Wall Street and with the Utility Commission, Knudsen taught at Southern Utah University for a few years and published articles in the realm of energy. In 2004, Knudsen’s character and drive were tested as never before. While road cycling, Knudsen had an accident and suffered a severe spinal cord injury that left her paralyzed. With the support of her husband, Neils, she rose to the challenge. She worked to become as independent as possible and was known to listen to and encourage others with physical challenges to fight on. She became an artist and continued her passion for reading.

When McOmber learned of her accident, he flew to visit her immediately and in 2009 established the Judith Johnson Scholarship for aspiring MBA students in the Huntsman School of Business. In a full circle moment, Knudsen’s mentorship for a fellow Aggie, sparked a legacy that has impacted generations of Aggies.

Carlie Pennington, MBA ‘14, is one of these Aggies. Today, Pennington is the Marketing Director for Office Ally – a leading provider of healthcare technology solutions – but in 2012, she was an MBA student struggling to make ends meet and trying to find her place. She says receiving the Johnson Scholarship affected her both personally and professionally and gave her confidence to pursue her goals.

“At the time, I was still finding my footing as a woman in business. I often felt pressure to adjust myself to fit the mold of what I thought a successful ‘woman in business’ should look like,” Pennington said. “Meeting Judith changed that. She showed me that success didn’t require shrinking or conforming. It came from embracing who I was. Her example taught me that being a woman in business wasn’t a limitation. It could be a superpower.”

By defying the odds of her era and pursuing her passion for learning, Knudsen discovered her superpowers and shared them freely. Her story is a reminder that lasting impact often comes from investing in people. Whether supporting a student, guiding a colleague, or encouraging a future leader, she created opportunities beyond her own path. Through those she mentored, her influence lives on.