This article is part of the Innovators 2023 issue and TechXchange: Women in Science and Engineering (WISE)
As BrightView Technologies continues to advance in new cutting-edge markets, the company knows it has the right woman in the captain’s seat. For more than a decade, CEO Jennifer Aspell has been an instrumental leader in BrightView’s ascension as a global developer of innovative optical solutions for the world of Visual Intelligence™ by enabling emerging technology applications such as electronic display, LiDAR, 3D sensing, and LED lighting.
Aspell’s leadership and understanding of market needs were instrumental during the pandemic as BrightView pivoted to serve the State of North Carolina as a producer of PPE face shields. Aspell met with her engineering team at the onset of the project to assess the raw materials they had available to be a resource for the community. Within just a few days of meeting, the company was taking its first orders from the state. Serving in this role helped BrightView stay in business, serve the public in the production of more than 40,000 face shields, and even make new hires during a time of uncertainty.
Looking beyond the pandemic, Aspell’s vision for growth has been a catalyst for recent developments that are helping BrightView expand production capabilities to serve new customers. In early 2022, the company embarked on a major facility upfit project to enable enhanced and expanded production. These facility improvements will strategically support the company’s growth with more clean-room capacity for the increased development and manufacture of innovative optical films and components to meet demanding customer specifications.
In addition to her strategic leadership on BrightView’s business, Aspell has applied her engineering expertise in overseeing product innovation to support rapidly evolving technology segments. The company recently launched its T-Series Top Hat Micro Lens Array (MLA) products as an extension of its unique beam-shaping solutions that provide customers with a highly controlled field of view. The solution is pivotal for advancement in many innovative technologies, from creating accurate 3D maps for accurate object recognition to head-up displays in automotive and aerospace applications.
Supporting BrightView’s ongoing expansion, Aspell recently announced the launch of BrightView Technologies UK Ltd. in the United Kingdom. Aspell hired Mike Murphy to lead the new subsidiary as its Managing Director of Global Markets with responsibilities for product and commercial development in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and the Asia-Pacific region. Additional leadership hires, including Andy Finch as the new Vice President of Product and Technology Development, will help further fuel BrightView’s growth across continents.
Aspell’s stewardship in guiding BrightView’s growth hasn't gone unnoticed, as she and her team were recently recognized as “Heroes of Manufacturing” by the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP). Brightview was one of several MEP partner companies selected from across the country to share their journey and recent highlights as part of the Heroes of American Manufacturing video series.
Read more articles in the Innovators 2022 issue and TechXchange: Women in Science and Engineering (WISE)