When you first meet Kimia Penton, you might find it hard to capture her in one sentence. She’s a Sr. Director of Global Program Management at McKesson, a recording artist and TEDx speaker, a college professor at the University of Texas at Dallas, and a wife and mother. She’s also the kind of woman who can talk about corporate change management and songwriting in the same breath—and somehow, it makes perfect sense.

“I always tell people I’m an organized creative,” she says with a laugh. “I have one foot in the corporate, executive world and one foot in the arts. I love both, and they inform each other.”

It’s that duality—structure and spirit, data and melody, management and ministry—that makes Kimia’s story deeply compelling. Her journey weaves together faith, leadership, creativity, and a lifelong pursuit of balance. It’s also a reminder that the pursuit of excellence doesn’t have to come at the expense of the soul.

From Revolution to Renewal

Kimia’s story begins far from Texas—in Tehran, Iran. Her parents fled the country after the 1979 revolution when she was still a baby. The Iran they left behind had once been open and westernized, but after the Islamic revolution, the new government made life dangerous for families like hers.

“They pretty much lost everything,” Kimia says quietly. “They came to the UK with two suitcases and me, and they had to start all over again.”

Her father, an engineer whose degrees weren’t recognized in Britain, worked a string of labor jobs to support the family. “He worked on an assembly line, delivered pizzas—whatever it took to rebuild,” she recalls. “I think he took a lot of pride in providing for us, but emotionally, he never recovered from what he lost.”

The pressure to succeed fell on Kimia, the firstborn daughter. “It was always about achievement,” she says. “In a Middle Eastern family, you’re expected to be a doctor or an engineer. I started medical school because I thought it would make my dad proud—but I hated it.”

She laughs, remembering her short-lived attempt at med school. “I fainted during orientation. I couldn’t even give a shot to an orange. It was a disaster.”

So she pivoted—first to organizational psychology, and later to project management, where her natural leadership skills emerged almost by accident. “I never saw myself as a leader,” she admits. “But people saw something in me—someone who could bring people together, find consensus, and move things forward.”

Music: The First Language of Her Soul

Even before her corporate career took shape, Kimia had another calling. “Music has always been my safe place,” she says.

Her grandfather was a musician in Iran, and music filled her childhood home in the UK. But it was her first-grade music teacher, Mr. Deacon, who noticed her gift. “He pulled me aside one day and said, ‘Kimia, you have the soul of a musician.’ I didn’t even know what that meant, but I remember how it felt—like being seen for the first time.”

That simple affirmation turned into a lifeline. Through school, private lessons, and countless hours of practice, music became the way Kimia processed the pressures of being a high-achieving immigrant kid. “Mr. Deacon was part of God’s plan to save my life,” she reflects. “Music helped me heal. It helped me pray before I even understood prayer.”

Over time, that healing grew into purpose. Kimia led youth choirs in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, played guitar in hotel rooms during international moves, and eventually performed in places as grand as Royal Albert Hall.

“I’ve written albums in hotel rooms, between moves, between jobs,” she says. “It’s been an anchor—and now, it’s worship.”

Finding Faith in a Foreign Land

Growing up in the UK, Kimia didn’t have a Christian background. Her parents were academic and secular; religion wasn’t part of the household. But as a child, she was drawn to the local Methodist church, mostly because her best friend’s father was the pastor. “I didn’t understand the theology,” she says. “I just knew I wanted to be there. I walked into that church and saw a glowing cross, and I felt home. I never missed a Sunday.”

Years later, after moving to Dallas for college, that childhood curiosity turned into conviction. She met professors who were bold about their faith and encouraged her to explore questions she’d carried for years.

“I studied world religions for two years because I wanted to understand the truth,” she says. “I couldn’t get past the fact that Jesus is the only one who accepted us while we were still sinners. That unconditional love—there was nothing else like it.”

Her conversion wasn’t simple. “My parents were shocked,” she recalls. “They thought I’d gone to Texas and lost my mind. But over time, they saw the change. Years later, my mother came to Christ too.”

Kimia smiles softly. “There’s been pain, but there’s also been redemption. God’s been so personal through it all.”

Leadership with Empathy—and Boundaries

After years of climbing the corporate ladder, Kimia found herself leading a global project management team at McKesson. Her colleagues span multiple countries and time zones. It’s a demanding role—but one that allows her to live out her faith in tangible ways. “I lead by serving,” she says. “When I walk into a room, I want people to feel relieved that I’m there. I push my team to be their best, but I celebrate with them when they win.”

It’s servant leadership in action. But Kimia admits that balancing empathy with boundaries has been a lifelong lesson. “I used to say yes to everything,” she confesses. “I wanted to help everyone, and I ended up drained.”

Her turning point came through prayer—and a growing awareness that discernment is also obedience. “God showed me that boundaries are holy,” she says. “It’s not selfish to guard your time and energy when it means giving your best where it truly matters.”

That revelation led her to refine where she invests herself. Today, she devotes time to mentorship, causes that align with her values, and communities that replenish rather than deplete her.

A Season of Breaking and Rebuilding

Kimia’s marriage to her husband Andy—whom she met in London—has weathered extraordinary challenges. During a relocation to Saudi Arabia for Andy’s job, isolation and cultural restrictions nearly broke them apart. “I couldn’t work there. I had to wear a full burka. I was a brown woman, a Christian, and a musician. I felt invisible,” she recalls. “We separated for a time. It was dark.”

But after years apart, counseling, and deep humility, they reconciled. “We fought for our marriage,” Kimia says. “Christ restored what we couldn’t. We’re stronger now than we’ve ever been.”

Now back in their original Dallas neighborhood, the Pentons have become mentors to younger couples. “We host dinners, we tell the truth about what we’ve been through, and we remind people—your marriage is worth fighting for.”

Restoring Rest

When Kimia first attended the Executive Women’s Forum (EW4C) hosted by 4word, she didn’t expect transformation.

“I went because a friend had a spare ticket,” she laughs. “I thought it’d be a nice evening. Instead, I spent the whole time crying—in a good way.”

For Kimia, EW4C offered something she hadn’t found anywhere else: a space where high-achieving Christian women could be both ambitious and authentic. “It wasn’t just about rest—it was about refocusing,” she says. “I left remembering that my work is my ministry. My job is the way I serve.”

One session in particular changed her perspective. “Pat Asp said, ‘To whom much is given, much is expected—but God’s got your back.’ That hit me hard. It reframed my leadership as a calling, not a burden.”

EW4C reminded Kimia that rest and work are not opposites—they’re partners. “You can’t pour from an empty cup,” she says. “When I rest in God, I can serve my team better, create better, and lead with joy.”

A Leader Who Points to the Light

When you talk to Kimia, you sense that her faith isn’t an accessory to her career—it’s the current running through everything she does.

She sees her position at McKesson as a divine assignment, her music as a tool for connection, and her teaching as a chance to equip the next generation of servant leaders. “Christ-centered leadership is what brings healing to the world,” she says. “We spend most of our lives at work—that’s where we have the most impact. If we can lead with excellence and faith, we can change lives.”

For women who feel stretched thin, weary from striving, or uncertain how to integrate their faith into their professional lives, Kimia offers this: “You don’t have to compartmentalize your faith and your work. God doesn’t live in categories. He just wants your whole heart—and He’ll meet you there, even in the boardroom.”

Kimia is a wife, mother, organizational psychology professional, recording artist, college professor and TEDx speaker. As an organized creative, Kimia combines her love for organizational psychology, music, and community in all aspects of her work. 

Her passion for getting things done, bringing ideas to life, and serving people by improving ways of working led her to a career in project management. As Sr. Director of Global Program Management at McKesson Corporation, project management faculty at the University of Texas, Dallas, and board member for the Project Management Institute, Dallas, Kimia strives to model an organized, creative, and intentional approach to help organizations succeed while encouraging project managers to deliver value and model servant leadership.  

As a musician and recording artist, her music is a fusion of pop, jazz and world music, influenced by her Persian and British roots. Her songs support listeners with greater self-awareness, authenticity and community. Her latest album, “Unfiltered” is accompanied by an online course to encourage personal breakthroughs and combines her love of organizational psychology and storytelling through music. Kimia is the founder of KimiaQProductions and the Dallas Coalition for Live Music. 

Kimia and her husband Andy live in Texas with their two children and their two cats.