Trisha Griffis helps aerospace and defense manufacturers scale operations

Trisha Griffis, CEO of Jer-nee, is being highlighted for helping advanced manufacturers build repeatable operational systems that support growth. Her work spans aerospace, defense and technology, with a focus on quality, change management and enterprise systems.

Why it matters: - Aerospace, defense and other advanced manufacturers often struggle to scale without stronger processes, systems and operational discipline. - Griffis works on the infrastructure behind growth, helping companies reduce friction in quality, compliance and change management. - Her approach can shorten cycle times and make major operational changes easier for teams to absorb.

What happened: - Influential Women featured Trisha Griffis, chief executive officer of Jer-nee, also known as Journey. - Griffis founded Jer-nee to help aerospace, defense and high-growth manufacturers build the operational infrastructure they need to scale. - Jer-nee is an Atlassian Gold Solutions Partner serving clients in advanced manufacturing and defense. - Griffis holds an AS9100 Lead Auditor certification issued by Axeon Corporation.

The details: - Griffis’s work centers on predictable, repeatable processes supported by people, systems and technology. - Her background includes product lifecycle management, quality systems, organizational change management, enterprise software implementation and executive operational strategy. - Her specialties include operating model and systems design, enterprise systems architecture, compliance and quality system enablement, and aerospace quality management. - Griffis entered the industry in 2004 after managing multiple tanning salon locations. - She joined Control4 as a receptionist and moved through inside sales, technical support, quality management, change control and product lifecycle management. - Griffis later led enterprise system implementations at Control4. - She then joined a startup that later went through an IPO and an acquisition by SanDisk. - At that company, she worked on document control, PLM deployment and ERP transitions. - At Vivint Solar, she expanded into organizational change management and process optimization. - Griffis became one of the top project managers in Vivint Solar’s technology organization before leaving to launch her consulting practice full-time. - Her writing for Influential Women has focused on transformation fatigue and how organizations can sequence change so teams can keep pace. - She recommends letting foundational changes land first, building changes around real jobs, pairing each change with something people can stop doing, and giving managers context early. - Griffis described helping a defense drone manufacturer move through change in phases, starting with its quality system foundation, then Department of Defense documentation, then full transformation. - The company earned AS9100D certification on its first attempt and cut its change order cycle time from 10 days to 5. - More information is available through her Influential Women profile.

Between the lines: - Griffis’s career path shows how operational leadership can grow from frontline roles into enterprise-level transformation work. - Her emphasis on vulnerability, adaptability and trust suggests a leadership style built around team buy-in rather than top-down change. - The certification and cycle-time results point to a practical focus on execution, not just strategy.

What's next: - Griffis continues to advise organizations facing complex growth and operational change. - Her mentorship work suggests a continued focus on helping women build confidence, networks and access to leadership roles. - Influential Women will likely keep using profile features to spotlight women whose work blends expertise, leadership and measurable business impact.