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In 2024, Edgar Mayorga stepped into a leadership role for a Fortune 500 company. The executive director of finance for security products at Johnson Controls has spent fourteen years refining while widening his finance and accounting expertise, cultivating new finance delivery models, and creating a culture of high performance that Mayorga says means so much more than a buzzword.
Since last speaking with Hispanic Executive in 2019, Mayorga has amassed more diverse experiences across Johnson Controls. At the onset of the pandemic, the finance leader became responsible for managing cash flow and working capital for the organization’s research, development, and manufacturing division. He had around two hundred reports across multiple countries.
Mayorga spent the next few years managing the finance S&OP and inventory processes for Johnson Controls, a heavy lift considering the multitude of COVID-era supply chain issues that wreaked havoc on the world at large. He was tasked with improving S&OP and optimizing inventory and reducing trapped capital. The heavy lift paid off when he moved into his current role in March last year.
“As companies evolve, the key to success is to understand the direction the company is headed and how to leverage your skills to be part of that change and drive positive results,” Mayorga says. “For me, it’s been about embracing the journey and finding ways to contribute meaningfully to Johnson Controls’ growth and transformation.”
For the finance leader, making it to his current role is the result of refining his own personal “diet.” Not chicken breast and no sweets, but his informational diet. Mayorga says for those seeking continued personal development, you have to be conscious about the kind of information you’re consuming.
“Where are you investing your time?” Mayorga asks. “I try to be mindful of what I’m paying attention to physically, emotionally, and intellectually. I know this may sound like common sense, but I think we all spend a great deal of time focusing on things that aren’t necessarily healthy for us.”
But what you’re paying attention to is only part of the journey, Mayorga explains. Where the rubber truly meets the road is about what happens next. He says there is no shortage of knowledge readily available for personal development. That’s not the issue.
“The problem isn’t securing the knowledge,” Mayorga says. “It’s executing.”
Understanding how to put ideas into action, realizing what is imitable and what needs tweaking, and knowing how to apply a transformational lens to one’s own situation can be a complex process. Putting good ideas into action is unfortunately where most good ideas go to die. Mayorga says learning how to translate knowledge into action is what has allowed for such massive growth during his career at Johnson Controls.
And if it’s not readily demonstrable by his résumé, Mayorga also stresses the importance of saying yes to an assignment.
“During these fifteen years, I’ve been asked to go to Asia. I said yes,” the finance leader explains. “Do I want to go to the US? I said yes. Do I want to drive this effort? I will try and do my absolute best.”
At the same time, Mayorga says he has been very careful about setting and then exceeding expectations. The level of opportunity on the horizon when someone is early in their career can make a realistic timeline difficult. Figuring out how to navigate that takes time, but Mayorga says the faster you can learn to set appropriate goals and milestones, the more quickly you can figure out how to overdeliver.
The finance leader also places a great deal of emphasis on cultivating—and defining—the right kind of culture. He emphasizes that while the term “high-performing culture” is often used loosely, it should represent more than just rapid execution of tasks. He believes that true high performance involves purposeful and sustainable efforts, ensuring individuals are not only working efficiently but also maintaining their well-being and long-term productivity.
“A sense of purpose is critical to developing a culture that can maintain,” he explains. “When you have a sense of purpose, even a tough workload is energizing instead of exhausting. You will be inspired with new ideas, initiatives, and insights. That’s where purpose comes in.”
Mayorga says he focuses on a culture of purpose, drive, and learning. It’s an environment where people can do their best work while still leaving some proverbial gas in the tank for those moments when they really need to go all out.
“At Johnson Controls, we are a purpose-driven organization where colleagues can tap into a spirit and energy that is about making a difference,” Mayorga says. “I want my team to feel that they are on a meaningful journey. My goal is to inspire them to become the best version of themselves and to realize their full potential.”
Take it from a man who has found a way to experience an endless variety of financial roles in the same organization. It all comes down to aligning your purpose with the power of learning.
