The finalists for WashingtonExec’s Chief Officer Awards were announced April 15, and we’ll be highlighting some of them until the event takes place virtually May 27.
Next is Chief Legal Counsel Award finalist Arnold Morse, who’s senior vice president and general counsel at CNSI. Here, he talks career turning points, proud career moments, career advice and more.
What was a turning point or inflection point in your career?
It was August of 2014, my position as general counsel of The Orkand Corp. had ended in July 2014 with the sale of Orkand to the Harris Corp., and I had rejoined the legal department at CACI International, where I had worked previously.
CACI had just closed the largest transaction in its history (as of that date), purchasing the defense and intelligence business of AMS. Shortly after joining, I volunteered to take on the project of drafting and implementing an enterprisewide Ethics and Corporate Compliance Program.
I presented my overview and objectives of the program to CACI’s senior leadership team, and then collaborated with the functional leads, and my peers in navigating the issues of financial impacts, project priorities, time charging, resources and technology challenges to request and gain approval of the program.
I learned how to listen to the concerns and objections of my peers and clients, accommodate their needs while winning them over to include the essential elements of the Program.
I gained the support of senior leadership in rolling out the policies, procedures and committing the resources to implement an effective Ethics and Corporate Compliance Program including a computer-based training module produced internally at CACI, with me serving as the talking head in the training. My role in leading and implementing this program positioned me to be selected as the chief legal officer at CACI the following year.
What are your primary focus areas going forward, and why are those so important to the future of the nation?
CNSI is a health care IT company providing modular cloud-based Medicaid Management Information Technology products and solutions to state governments, and health care IT products and solutions to federal agencies including the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, and the departments of Veterans Affairs and Labor.
In my role as general counsel and chief compliance officer, I participate with the executive leadership team in identifying the significant risks to the company, and implementing actions to eliminate, avoid or mitigate those risks, including managing CNSI’s insurance portfolio.
My primary focus areas, and what keeps me up on certain evenings, are the challenges of complying with our legal and contractual obligations for cybersecurity and data protection, at both the project level and enterprise level. CNSI serves as a business associate, as defined under HIPAA, to our state health department clients in administering Medicaid claims and documents containing protected health information and personally identifiable information.
The federal and state laws and regulations, as well as the detailed contractual obligations in our contracts, require constant monitoring and vigilance in the handling of PHI and PII. I monitor the changes in federal and state regulations, as well as industry best practices.
I partner with CNSI’s CIO/CISO in the continuous improvement of our cybersecurity policies, procedures, training and capabilities. The constant changes in technology together with the increasing threats of individual and state-sponsored hacking, phishing and ransomware, have elevated cybersecurity and data protection to a national concern for both the public and private sectors. Educating employees and private citizens in the practice of safe computing, and identifying new threats when they arise, is a national priority.
What are you most proud of having been a part of in your current organization?
I joined CNSI as general counsel in March 2015. At the time of hire, the four founders of the company indicated that they were interested in a liquidity event, after 21 years of dedicated effort and hard work. There were a number of challenging matters that needed to be addressed in order to position the company for sale.
I worked closely with the senior leadership team, and many employees throughout the company in addressing each external challenge, including resolving litigation and business disputes, documenting IP ownership and extending bank financing.
I worked with the functional leads in documenting and improving company policies, processes and procedures. I worked closely with the senior leadership team in selecting an investment banker, navigating the sale process, working with outside counsel through due diligence, negotiating transaction documents and “slaying the dragons” that stood in the way of getting the deal done. We stayed focused on our goal and kept moving things forward until everything fell into place in February, 2018.
It was both challenging and rewarding to play a significant role in delivering the liquidity event the founders hoped for at the time they hired me.
What has made you successful in your current role?
Developing trusting relationships with my internal clients, and having the courage to speak out when needed:
- In order to be successful in the role of general counsel and chief compliance officer, it is essential to have a seat at the table before a risky or significant action is taken, or an important obligation to act is ignored.
- Once you have a seat at the table, you need to deliver value when given the opportunity to participate.
- I have avoided coming off as the sales prevention department, but instead listening to my client’s objective in taking an action or choosing not to take action, and collaborating with my client on the best approach to meeting that objective.
- Trust causes my internal client(s) seek me out, ask for my input or just an ear for a sanity check, before a critical decision is made.
- I have made myself available to help when needed, with the understanding that there are no stupid questions.
- I also depend upon company officers and employees to cooperate with me when I need to get to the bottom of an issue or allegation and learn all the critical facts. If I do not have the trust of the company officers and employees, I will not get the cooperation I need to be successful.
- As the chief compliance officer of the company, I have to provide leadership in conducting the company’s business the right way with honesty and integrity every day, addressing bad news quickly so it is not allowed to fester, and addressing actual or perceived improper conduct quickly and effectively.
- Once trust is established at an individual level, I have found that my peers, including senior leadership, project management and employees, are willing to seek me out and get my support when an actual or perceived challenge/issue arises.
What’s your best career advice for those who want to follow in your footsteps?
- Don’t “go along to get along.” The role of general counsel and/or chief compliance officer requires you to have the courage to speak out and address concerns when you become aware of them.
- There are many paths to getting to your career goal. Follow the one that is right for you.
- Be yourself. Be consistent in who you are and what you are about.
- Have the courage to be vulnerable. Ask for help when you need it.
- Take responsibility for the work you do and be accountable.
- Have confidence in yourself and people will confidently direct the “heavy lifting” assignments to you. With each impactful assignment you successfully deliver, you will become a “go to” resource to the senior leaders who will decide the next chief legal officer/general counsel candidate.