CleanSpace, the nation’s leading fully integrated modular cleanroom design-build firm, proudly announces the appointment of Robert Griffith as Chief Strategy Officer
CleanSpace, the nation’s leading fully integrated modular cleanroom design-build firm, proudly announces the appointment of Robert Griffith as Chief Strategy Officer. With over 30 years of experience in sterile injectable pharmaceutical manufacturing and facilities management, Griffith brings unmatched expertise from the owner’s side of the industry – having led large capital programs and regulatory transformations at top-tier organizations including Endo, PAR Pharmaceutical, and JHP Pharmaceuticals.
As CSO, Griffith will oversee the expansion and national rollout of CleanShield, CleanSpace’s dedicated service division for after-construction support. CleanShield will deliver a comprehensive suite of services including ongoing facility maintenance, emergency response, small projects, and a client-integrated workforce development program. CleanShield will also be responsible for the execution of technical documentation, client training programs, and full Commissioning, Qualification, and Validation (CQV) support—the most critical and challenging stage of any life science facility launch.
“With the addition of Robert and the integration of CleanShield, CleanSpace is now positioned like no other company in the market,” said Glenn VandeGrift, President and Founder of CleanSpace. “We’re not just building cleanrooms. We’re delivering operationally ready CGMP environments and providing our clients with a complete solution—through construction, CQV, and into long-term operation. That’s what true turnkey means, and that’s the new standard.”
Griffith’s proven ability to lead FDA-compliant initiatives, manage complex capital portfolios (including over $2B in sterile pharma expansion projects), and bridge technical operations with regulatory strategy will enable CleanSpace to provide a uniquely holistic offering for its life science clients. Moreover, Robert is an expert in aging facility remediation strategies and execution, understanding the key factor is not to disrupt ongoing manufacturing processes.
“Robert’s background brings a rare depth to our executive team,” said Nick Vermont, Chief Operating Officer. “He’s been the client—he knows what success looks like on the other side of turnover. That insight is essential as we expand CleanShield and begin embedding ourselves deeper into our clients’ long-term success plans.”
“CleanShield is not an add-on—it’s a strategic extension of our core philosophy,” added Brian Bennett, Executive Vice President. “By supporting operations, regulatory compliance, and training after construction, we’re eliminating the handoffs that create risk. Our clients now have one partner from concept to commercialization.”
As CleanSpace continues to build facilities for gene therapy, biologics, vaccine, and advanced therapeutics developers across the U.S., Griffith will help shape service delivery models that reduce time to GMP readiness and align technical execution with business-critical launch objectives.
“From technical documentation through CQV, Robert’s team will focus on getting our clients to GMP faster—with quality and reliability at the forefront,” said George Wiker, CEO and co-founder. “CleanSpace is now built to support our partners before, during, and well after construction. We’re raising the bar.”
Griffith’s addition also reinforces CleanSpace’s core value of operational excellence through vertical integration. With in-house design, process architecture, engineering, material manufacturing, installation, and post-construction service all under one roof, CleanSpace eliminates fragmentation and accelerates project timelines while safeguarding quality and compliance.
“CleanSpace has redefined the meaning of ‘integrated partner’ in our industry,” said Maik W. Journitz, CleanSpace Advisory Board Member and life sciences compliance expert. “Robert’s appointment and the launch of CleanShield demonstrate a sophisticated understanding of the regulatory and operational lifecycle. This is the future of facility delivery in regulated environments, especially with the focus on contamination control strategies, aging facility updates and distributed manufacturing platforms.”
CleanSpace is uniquely positioned in the market, providing vertically integrated, fully self-performed project delivery for life sciences, high-tech manufacturing, and mission-critical environments. With facilities across the U.S. and the U.K., CleanSpace delivers engineered solutions with the flexibility, speed, and regulatory precision demanded by today’s most innovative organizations.
