Stellar Solutions CEO Janet Grondin was recently featured on “Talon Talks,” a podcast showcasing the best and brightest of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University alumni. Grondin received her BS in Aeronautical Engineering, Magna cum Laude, in 1989 – a time, she recalled, when the music and energy of “Top Gun” was pervasive on campus. Since then, as the host noted, Grondin attained three Master degrees and served for 26 years in the U.S. Air Force before joining the private sector and then Stellar Solutions.
At Embry-Riddle she was encouraged to run experiments and stress-test specimens in a lab without a professor to look over her shoulder. “Having that early empowering experience was foundational to my career. That’s why as CEO, I am protective of that part of our culture at Stellar. It’s what inspires us to come to work every day.”
Grondin shared her respect for the core values first envisioned and led by Celeste Ford. “I don’t know of any other company that is all about putting people in dream jobs and solving customers’ critical needs,” she said.
Some key defining moments:
· With the Air Force, Grondin created a frequency-hopping system on airplanes to evade enemy detection during Desert Storm.
· She led fielding of a next-generation GPS ground system, which was like “replacing the engine of a car while driving 60 miles an hour.”
· As a Lt. Colonel, Grondin flattened her organization to speed decision-making and empower the team, many of whom are now leaders in the Space Force.
“You don’t always know what your dream job will be, but if you can pursue your curiosity and have the opportunity to test yourself, great things can happen,” she says.
What is her favorite cartoon character? Elastigirl from The Incredibles – like many working moms who have to stretch. What historic person would she like to live as for a week? Martin Luther King Jr., whom she deeply admires: “I would love to see how he changed history.”
Listen here to learn more about Grondin and why she is proud to be at Stellar Solutions. https://alumni.erau.edu/s/867/bp20/interior.aspx?sid=867&gid=1&pgid=6231
Stellar Solutions CEO featured on “Talon Talks”