Ailisha R. Jones, MBA
Ailisha R. Jones, MBA, is a visionary leader and strategic executive advisor with extensive experience driving operational excellence, enterprise transformation, and large-scale program management across global organizations. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, she specializes in multi-project leadership, risk mitigation, governance, HR systems, payroll operations, and organizational change management. She began her career in education, where she spent years in training and administrative leadership roles, building a strong foundation in compliance, reporting, and stakeholder engagement. In that space, she achieved record-breaking performance milestones, supported benchmarking initiatives, and helped secure funding for programs serving Title I schools facing socioeconomic challenges, while also sending first-generation students to college on full scholarships.
Her work in education included direct collaboration with superintendents, chief of staff, and board members, where she was responsible for federal reporting to the Georgia Department of Education and advising senior leaders on policy and program outcomes. This experience sharpened her ability to align competing priorities and deliver win-win solutions in highly complex environments. It was during this time she recognized her natural ability to influence, motivate, and lead with both authority and grace—an “aha” moment that revealed her capacity to drive results through people-centered leadership. After years of success in education, and with a growing entrepreneurial mindset shaped by side consulting work supporting churches and community organizations, she transitioned into the corporate and consulting space, seeking broader challenges and innovation opportunities.
Today, Ailisha serves as a Senior Global Payroll Manager while also leading her own consulting firm, AJ Consulting, where she advises organizations on business transformation, HR strategy, and operational efficiency. She has successfully led high-stakes initiatives, including a global divestiture exceeding $1 million under tight regulatory deadlines, while ensuring compliance, stakeholder alignment, and process optimization. Her career reflects a consistent ability to bridge strategy and execution, foster strong organizational culture, and inspire high performance across teams. Outside of her professional work, she values faith, family, travel, golf, and community engagement, grounding her leadership approach in balance, service, and purpose-driven impact.
• 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴
• 𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘁𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗛𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 (𝗦𝗛𝗥𝗠) 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴
• 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 (𝗣𝗠𝗣) 𝗖𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
• Ashford University - BBA
• Brenau University - MBA
• Transformation Woman of the Year front Page
• Top Icon 2025
• AJ Consulting featrued on front pag August edition
• Best International Leader
• Top Social Leader
• Nominee for Women of The Year -Women In Technology
• Top 10 Women Of The Month
• 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿
• Project Management Institute
• SHRM
• Women in HR
• Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority
• Lion's Club
• Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority charity work
• Church ministry work
• Soles4Souls
• Lions Clubs International
What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to my faith in God, hard work, and my resilience. I'm a lifelong learner and a researcher - I apply new approaches and different approaches to everything I do. My ability to partner and learn has been crucial. I also think staying grounded in my spiritual life has played a heavy part in me propelling and thriving. I'm constantly working in the church and doing spiritual things, and that foundation has helped me stay focused and motivated throughout my journey.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I've ever received is bet on yourself. You have to take a chance and take risks. You can never work top tier and be extremely efficient if you don't bet on yourself. At the end of the day, it's you, and it's only you. You have to be willing to put yourself out there and believe in your own abilities, even when it's scary or uncertain.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would tell young women to pursue their dreams at all costs. Don't step back, go forward. You're going to have some challenges, but you cannot allow those challenges to derail you. Get all the education you can and try to make sure you partner with the right people to thrive. We don't do enough research as women - we have to do our research. Just because everything sounds good and looks good doesn't mean it's a good fit for us. We need to be more diligent about doing our due diligence and making informed decisions about our careers.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenges in my field right now are integrating women into leadership and dealing with the demanding changes that are mandated that organizations have no control over. There are limited budgets and demands from stakeholders and leadership that are very challenging because it's very bureaucratic. Once people are at the top, they don't want to let anyone else in. They're concerned about returns, how much money the company makes, brand, and all these other things that don't add value to human capital. That's really frustrating because human capital should be the priority.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values that are most important to me are, first, not taking yourself too seriously. Second, operating with integrity and being transparent in everything I do. I love to have fun - that's one of my core value systems. You'll end up in the ICU if you don't know how to have fun! I also believe you have to be optimistic and always maintain a positive outlook. If you're not positive and you don't create a good employee experience, everything else is null and void. You can have a top organization, but if you don't create good work culture and stay optimistic, it won't matter.
Locations
AJ Consulting
Marietta, GA 30008