Kayla Johnson is a Senior Advisor, Engineering Services at First Key Consulting. She is a highly experienced engineer with a proven track record of 15+ years of experience in the brewing industry. At First Key, Kayla works with clients delivering process, packaging and utilities engineering services, capital project management, and operational excellence.
Prior to joining First Key, Kayla worked for Anheuser-Busch InBev (ABI) in various roles. Most recently, she served as the Senior Quality Assurance Manager on the brewery senior leadership team overseeing food safety, internal quality, and external quality. Prior to that she was the Resident Engineer overseeing the powerhouse, capital projects, facilities, IT and maintenance teams at a 12 million bbl brewery. Kayla coached and developed a team of 30 utilities, facilities, and engineering employees receiving accolades including highest engaged team and winner of the company’s Capex Cup. From 2018—2021 Kayla was the Director, Learning & Development (L&D) – Supply Chain, focused on employee performance and capability. In this role she was accountable for all L&D performance metrics, including budget, plan compliance, and employee proficiency & performance support in 33 North American facilities. Kayla has also led Target Setting & Cascading for the North America ABI organization when she was based in AB’s commercial strategy headquarters in New York City. Earlier in her career, Kayla was an Assistant Brewmaster and Zone Brewery Specialist where she developed and managed mid-level managers, engineers, interns, and hourly workforce and led multiple successful new brand launches. When she started her career with ABI, Kayla worked collaboratively on greenfield brewery design and was a member of various capital projects teams that included equipment installation, testing, and start-up.
Kayla received her Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering, Cum Laude from the University of North Dakota. She has a Six Sigma White/Yellow Belt as well as her Learn2Serve certification. Outside of First Key, Kayla enjoys giving back in her community through Habitat for Humanity, Reading Buddies and led a program for Women in Beer & Beyond. She enjoys fitness, pickleball, traveling, and cooking.
