2009 GREAT WOMEN OF GAMING
Proven leader
Melonie D. Johnson
Vice President of Finance
Harrah's Entertainment
Melonie Johnson is all about the challenge. For herself, it's the challenge of growing up, the challenge of doing her best professionally and the challenge of taking risks. For her children, co-workers and those she mentors, it's about challenging them to do and be better.
This attitude has paid off! Johnson has amassed experience in several widely different industries: banking, oil and gas, theme parks and gaming. "I feel like all the work … has led me to the place where I am now professionally," she says. "I feel like I'm a member of a group of elite, successful, professional women at this point." Johnson now sits as vice president of finance for Harrah's Entertainment in the Mid-South region.
Her success comes from inauspicious beginnings, though. Growing up in small-town Lacombe, La., Johnson was one of four children and was the first in her family to go to college. Her go-getter attitude was formed early, under the watchful eyes of her parents. "My parents were strict. They had rules... But they provided love, structure, discipline, guidance, and they taught us about pride and being able to accomplish anything if we wanted it bad enough and worked hard enough for it. Whether I was a ditch-digger or a Yale professor, it didn't matter to my family as long as I was happy and successful and I was doing it to the best of my ability."
Starting out professionally, she used the resources available to her to learn and grow. "Whenever there was a new industry in town, I wanted to challenge myself and see if I could get hired there in the finance department," she explains. "At one point, the oil and gas company I was working for filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. I found out Harrah's was coming to New Orleans and I did some networking and got the name of the HR director, and set up a meet and greet." Johnson did her homework, landed the job, and has been hooked ever since.
Dealing with bankruptcy, she says, has been her hardest professional challenge. Although it was tough, she used it as a learning opportunity. "I had to manage with minimal staffing and that afforded me the opportunity to learn how to do more with less." In 2006, after working for a theme park in New Orleans—which also went through bankruptcy—Johnson came back to Harrah's in the position she holds now.
She believes development is the professional accomplishment that was most influential in her receiving the award. "I do believe in identifying talent and nurturing it, watching that person grow, and when the opportunity presents itself, developing them into greater opportunities," she explains, which is also evident in Johnson's commitment to community service and mentoring.
She serves on the board of directors for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Memphis and participates in the company-sponsored HERO employee volunteer program that benefits local community organizations. "The reason I wanted to do Big Brothers Big Sisters is that our future depends upon our kids. If we don't invest in our kids today, the future just falls apart. I'm passionate about helping someone who's at a disadvantage because I remember what it can be like," she says.
A big proponent of education and awareness, she says: "If we can educate our kids and expose them to different things, we've won half the battle right there. There are so many kids who don't have choices."
Johnson lives by the idea that failure is not an option—and that success comes by working hard. She's had a few mentors in her life, one being her high school bookkeeping teacher. "The reason I think I went to college and majored in accounting was because of Mrs. Fields. She made me feel like I could do anything. One of her famous sayings was 'That's your little red wagon, honey, and you can either push it or pull it.' "
Johnson has transferred this attitude to her own management style. She encourages her team to learn all they can and go out into the operations.
Her hands-on credo is something she lives herself during down time at work. "The gaming industry is great. It's exciting. If I'm at my desk and on a break and I want to do something, I walk the gaming floor. I talk to customers, I talk to employees. It's just fun." The advice Johnson would give to aspiring women looking to get into the industry is to lay the proper foundation and network. "The proper foundation means the correct educational background, desire, drive and passion. You can't be afraid to make mistakes and you can't be afraid to take on challenges or risks. In this industry, we are risk takers. But we've got to make sure we have the correct assumption and we've done our homework. We don't just jump out in the deep end unprepared; we take a swimming lesson first."
Which has proven to be a recipe for success for herself. AH
Copyright 2011, Great Women of Gaming. All rights reserved.
