Jennifer Scanlon

CEO of UL Solutions, a global safety science, testing, inspection, and certification company.

Mentions

Appeared in

Discussed in

Key positions and views

Advocates for translating technical safety standards into public law as an effective means to address urgent risks, citing the 75% reduction in NYC e-bike fire deaths as proof of success.

Believes AI safety governance is best achieved through industry collaboration and standards development organizations, rather than through top-down, prescriptive government regulation.

Views the company's IPO and public listing as a strategic asset for raising its profile and attracting top talent in a competitive market.

The primary purpose of the UL Solutions IPO was to provide proceeds for the endowments of its non-profit affiliates, ensuring the long-term funding of their research and standards development missions.

Asserts that while digital simulation is a growing part of testing, a hybrid approach that includes physical testing will remain necessary for high-risk products for the foreseeable future.

Podcast consensus on Scanlon

Points of consensus

▶Both sources highlight Jennifer Scanlon's emphasis on UL Solutions' collaboration with the city of New York to write its e-bike safety standards into law, and both cite the significant reduction in fatalities that resulted.Apr 2026

▶Scanlon consistently discusses UL Solutions' proactive engagement with AI safety, referencing the development of standards for AI systems (UL 3115) and the launch of certification marks for AI hardware across both podcast appearances.Apr 2026

▶The global scale and operational complexity of UL Solutions are consistently portrayed, with Scanlon citing its 15,000 employees, 110 markets, 80,000 customers, and significant revenue from international markets like China and EMEA.Apr 2026

Points of debate

▶Scanlon's position on the U.S. Cyber Trust Mark program evolved significantly between appearances. Initially, she was 'most excited' about UL Solutions being named the lead administrator, but later explained that the company withdrew from the role after the FCC introduced additional requirements.Apr 2026

▶There is a nuanced perspective on government collaboration. Scanlon champions partnerships that codify UL standards into law (e.g., NYC e-bike fires) but also advocates for industry-led governance over top-down regulation for AI safety and has withdrawn from a major federal program.Apr 2026

▶UL Solutions' role in AI safety is presented with some contrast. While the company is developing comprehensive standards (UL 3115) and certifying hardware, Scanlon clarifies they are not directly engaged with foundational model developers like OpenAI or Anthropic, focusing more on implementation and hardware safety.Apr 2026

Key themes

▶Standards as Public PolicyApr 2026

Scanlon repeatedly details how UL Solutions translates its technical safety standards into public law to address urgent societal risks, most notably with lithium-ion battery fires in New York City. This strategy involves direct collaboration with government bodies and fire services to create enforceable regulations based on the company's expertise.

This theme demonstrates that UL Solutions' core business is not just technical certification but also influencing public policy, creating a powerful competitive moat where its standards become the legal benchmark, ensuring long-term relevance and demand.

▶Navigating Emerging Technology RisksApr 2026

Scanlon positions UL Solutions at the forefront of managing risks in new technologies like AI and cybersecurity. She discusses developing standards for AI bias and transparency, certifying AI hardware, and tackling the immense new power and thermal safety challenges in AI data centers, such as the shift to 800-volt DC power and water cooling.

By embedding itself in the safety and infrastructure of nascent technologies, UL Solutions is positioning itself as a critical enabler of innovation, suggesting its growth is directly tied to the expansion of high-stakes tech sectors.

▶The Business of TrustApr 2026

Scanlon outlines the evolution of UL from a non-profit to a for-profit, publicly traded company (UL Solutions) that now has a growing SaaS business and a global footprint. She explains that the IPO was a secondary offering designed to fund the endowment of its non-profit research and standards-setting affiliates, and that being public has helped attract talent.

The company's complex corporate structure is a strategic move to commercialize its 130-year-old brand for trust and safety, using the capital markets to scale operations while preserving its mission-driven research core through a well-funded endowment.

▶Adapting to Global Regulatory and Trade DynamicsApr 2026

Scanlon describes the United States as the most highly regulated market for product safety, driven by a mix of laws, insurance practices, and the tort system. She also notes how UL Solutions' customers have had to re-engineer products and move supply chains in response to geopolitical shifts like US tariffs, requiring extensive product re-testing.

UL Solutions' business thrives on regulatory complexity and global trade friction, as these forces create a constant need for testing, inspection, and certification services, making the company a key partner for businesses navigating international markets.

Source episodes

Sentiment over time

Not enough data for timeline

Changes over time

1894

UL is founded as a non-profit organization.

circa 1984

UL Solutions establishes operations in China, which have now been maintained for 40 years.

2012

UL undergoes a major restructuring, splitting its operations into a for-profit entity (UL Solutions) and non-profit affiliates (UL Standards and Engagement, UL Research Institutes).

Trump Administration

Scanlon notes that shifting tariff policies led UL Solutions' customers to re-engineer products and move factories, creating demand for product re-testing.

Fall 2023

UL Solutions launches a 'verified mark' certification for AI PCs and AI servers.

Recent

UL Solutions is named lead administrator for the U.S. Cyber Trust Mark program, but later withdraws from the role after the FCC introduces new requirements.

Suggested prompts

How does Jennifer Scanlon balance the company's public safety mission with the financial expectations of a publicly traded entity? &nearr;What is Scanlon's strategy for positioning UL Solutions in the AI safety landscape, given her preference for industry-led standards and lack of direct engagement with model developers like OpenAI? &nearr;Based on the withdrawal from the Cyber Trust Mark program, what are the key risks and criteria for UL Solutions when engaging in government partnerships? &nearr;How might the increasing complexity of AI data centers, as described by Scanlon, create new revenue streams or strategic challenges for UL Solutions' testing and certification business? &nearr;

Key concepts

Lithium-Ion Battery Safety 2 ep AI Safety & Standards 2 ep Government & Regulation 2 ep UL Solutions Business Model 2 ep Corporate Structure & IPO 2 ep Cybersecurity 2 ep Global Operations & Trade 2 ep AI Data Centers 1 ep Software as a Service (SaaS) 1 ep

Notable quotes

“The good news is since those standards were adopted in New York City, deaths have dropped by 75%.”

Jennifer Scanlon · That UL safety logo is a lot more complicated than it looks | Decoder

“When the FCC decided that they wanted additional requirements from the lead administrator, we realized that we weren't the best fit for that.”

Jennifer Scanlon · That UL safety logo is a lot more complicated than it looks | Decoder

“one of the greatest things that being listed has done for us is it really has taken us above the radar and it's helped us attract talent.”

Jennifer Scanlon · Jennifer Scanlon - CEO of UL Solutions | Podcast | In Good Company

“with the rapid change in the amount of power, the rapid change just in the thermal dynamics of, you know, GPUs versus CPUs, the rapid change in the way that you're going to put, you know, a megawatt of power into a rack or that you're shifting the water cooling.”

Jennifer Scanlon · That UL safety logo is a lot more complicated than it looks | Decoder

Report last updated: Apr 28, 2026

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