Kenny Johnston

Kenny Johnston is the Chief Product Officer at Instabug, a role he has held since May 2023. He has over 20 years of experience in product management, strategy, operations, and marketing, having previously served as VP of Product at Instabug and Senior Director of Product Management at GitLab Inc..24

Background and Education

Johnston has a diverse educational background, including a Global Executive MBA from The University of Texas at Austin. He also has a foundation in engineering and astrophysics, which complements his extensive experience in technology and product development.3

Professional Experience

Throughout his career, Johnston has worked with several notable companies, including:

• Instabug: As Chief Product Officer, he focuses on empowering mobile teams with tools to enhance mobile app development.
• GitLab Inc.: Served as Senior Director of Product Management.
• Rackspace and HP: Held various leadership roles contributing to his expertise in managing product life cycles and enterprise software solutions.14

Skills and Leadership Style

Kenny Johnston is recognized for his ability to drive organizational change and manage high-performing teams. He emphasizes the importance of empowering product managers to make prioritization decisions while maintaining a balance between providing direction and allowing team autonomy.12 His leadership approach includes creating global context for product initiatives and advocating for effective use of research and development investments across teams.1

Personal Life

Outside of work, Johnston resides in the Kansas City Metropolitan Area with his partner and their two children. He enjoys activities such as playing soccer and cooking.1