K. Scott Griffith

K. Scott Griffith is the founder and managing partner of SG Collaborative Solutions, LLC. He is the author of the world's first Collaborative High Reliability® and Collaborative Just Culture® improvement programs, independently audited and certified by DNV, a world-leading international accreditation organization. His new book, "The Leader’s Guide to Managing Risk – A Proven Method to Build Resilience and Reliability," is scheduled for release November 7, 2023 by HarperCollins Leadership.

Scott gained his reputation for world-class reliability and collaborative skills through success in high-consequence industries across the globe. He came to prominence as a leader in the field of aviation as an international airline captain and chief safety officer at American Airlines, and is widely recognized as the father of the airline industry’s landmark Aviation Safety Action Programs (ASAP). He is the recipient of the Flight Safety Foundation’s Admiral Luis de Florez Award for his outstanding contribution to aviation safety. He is the three-time recipient of the Federal Aviation Administration’s Good Friend Award. Throughout his career, Scott has worked closely with government regulators in several high-consequence industries worldwide.

In 2000, the US Surgeon General, David Satcher, extended a personal invitation to him to advise a Department of Health and Human Services committee on Blood Safety and Availability. From there, he applied his unique approach to focus on improving outcomes across multiple values in healthcare organizations, collaborating with hundreds of hospitals across the country. He is the recipient of the California Patient Safety Action Coalition Leadership Award.

In 2006, he retired from American Airlines and dedicated himself to just culture performance improvement integrations at several large healthcare systems, airlines, railroads, energy companies, emergency medical services, and fire and law enforcement agencies, leading many state- and nation-wide sectors. An acclaimed speaker, author, and socio-technical physicist, his experience brings insight into how the collaborative model supports a wide range of values and objectives, from patient safety and clinical outcomes to privacy, compassion, fiscal responsibility, customer satisfaction, and operational excellence.

He is the principal architect of the Sequence of Reliability® model of socio-technical improvement, bringing the science of reliability to diverse industries and organizations. He has pioneered the development of multiple predictive risk management strategies, including socio-technical probabilistic risk assessment (STPRA) and Reliability Management Systems (RMS). He has worked extensively with management, labor, and government officials and is widely recognized for his ability to help organizations achieve consensus results in support of common goals.

Scott holds a Master of Science degree in Physics from Texas A&M University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and Physics from Texas Christian University. His master’s thesis contributed to the research and commercial development of the airborne windshear LIDAR project under grant from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).