The finalists for WashingtonExec’s Chief Officer Awards were announced March 25, and we’ll be highlighting some of them until the event takes place live, in-person May 11 at the The Ritz-Carlton in McLean, Virginia.
Next is CEO (Public) finalist Bruce Caswell, who’s CEO of Maximus. Here, he talks key recent achievements, career advice, primary focus areas going forward and more.
What key achievements did you have in 2021/2022?
By many measures, 2021 was one of the most significant years in the history of Maximus. The moves we made and the growth we achieved, we believe will set the company up for success for many years to come.
The growth was stimulated by our largest acquisitions ever in spring 2021, when we acquired Attain Federal and Veterans Evaluation Services for a combined $1.8 billion. These dual acquisitions added so much to the Maximus portfolio, and we’ve already seen these deals lead to success.
For example, the Attain Federal acquisition brought highly desirable new capabilities delivered with great customer intimacy by an exceptional professional services team. It opened new markets and new customers for Maximus, including adding the Securities and Exchange Commission to our client roster and expanding into the Department of Defense as evidenced by Maximus recently being named to a blanket agreement for artificial intelligence.
Our combination with VES brought nearly 1,200 new employees to Maximus who are dedicated to helping our nation’s veterans successfully qualify for the critical health benefits and support that they deserve. The passion and commitment of the VES team to the mission of the VA is evident every day — and has created a surge of pride among many of us beyond VES.
Later in 2021, the company took another big step by completing a novation with Navient to take over their student loan business, and we created Aidvantage to help student loan holders navigate their situations. This comes at a critical time when borrowers are preparing to return to repayment later this summer.
Another key achievement for Maximus was our work with vaccine distribution, which we’ve done on the local, state and federal levels. We’ve been able to help agencies schedule hundreds of thousands of vaccine appointments nationwide while helping people access critical information about COVID-19, and it’s a perfect example of how Maximus helps government better serve its constituents.
Finally, I would be remiss not to mention our work outside the U.S. As global economies reopened, Maximus was there to help governments get people back to work. As an example, in 2021, we became a major provider of re-employment services under the U.K. Restart program.
As I often tell our leadership team and employees, we should take great pride in the work we do each day, for it’s difficult to open the newspaper — print or digital — and not find a story relating to a population that we are serving through our government clients.
What are your primary focus areas going forward, and why are those so important to the future of the nation?
Our primary focus areas going forward are in many ways the same that have driven Maximus for the past four decades — as we are at the heart of helping governments serve their citizens by providing health, economic and social support often to their most vulnerable.
Increasingly, through the technology solutions we provide, we are directly supporting government departments and agencies in the delivery of their mission. We are always looking for new ways to reach and support more families and individuals by connecting them with government services more efficiently. This is accomplished both through direct citizen engagement — such as contact centers — and increasingly through mission-aligned technology solutions.
The programs we are entrusted to operate and support on behalf of our government customers are themselves central to the role of government. In many cases, they trace their roots to legislation over a half a century ago. In the U.S. alone, we serve well over 100 million Americans each year through programs like Medicaid and Medicare, and more recently, the servicing of nearly 6 million federal direct student loan borrowers.
In 2021, we also wound down our administration of call centers for the decennial census — a requirement of government specified in the constitution. Our technology services, similarly, support critical functions such as the computation and processing of individual and business taxes at the IRS, and the reliable and secure collection and processing of corporate filings for the SEC.
Our nation and its citizens, regardless of the party in power at any one time, require the timely and efficient provision of critical services as a function of our democracy. I’m proud of the role that tens of thousands of Maximus employees play in that regard each day.
Having been in this business for more than 30 years, I’m more convinced than ever that a collaborative relationship between the public and private sectors leads to the most efficient and accountable delivery of many government programs. That’s why our priorities and focus areas are — in my view — so important to the future of our nation.
How do you help shape the next generation of leaders?
We work hard at Maximus to create a culture that’s attractive to new employees who have a passion for our mission as well as leaders who have served in government and — after they retire or leave government — want to find a way to continue helping people.
Bringing former government leaders into the business is a key element of our leadership development, as evidenced by former IRS executive Stanley Hawkins’ decision to join us. It’s important for these leaders to share their experiences, know their voice is heard and be able to meaningfully impact the business and ultimately, improve the customer experience.
We also invest in our “rising stars” — from new college hires to experienced professionals with great potential to take on additional responsibilities. We have a formal development program, but also make great use of external development offerings, from business school courses to leadership programs specifically designed to promote greater diversity in leadership.
Our next generation of leaders coming through the business will benefit from the opportunity to work side by side with their experienced colleagues, and together, they ensure our customers feel the impact of Maximus’ commitment to their success and mission.
What are you most proud of in your career?
It may sound cliché, but the Maximus difference is our people. Having the right people in the right roles is a critical job of a leader and is the only way to effectively help the populations we serve. We have found that the right people are those who are understanding, empathetic, committed, helpful and most importantly, who reflect the beneficiaries and the customers we serve.
I have been fortunate to work with a lot of great people over my career. There’s nothing better than getting the news that someone I’ve worked with or had the privilege of mentoring has done something exciting in their own development, achieved something great in their career or made an impact on someone else’s life.
What’s your best career advice for those who want to follow in your footsteps?
As much as we’d all like to plan our careers down to every last step, it’s not possible and honestly, it’s not what we should be doing. Always seek new opportunities to learn and grow.
When opportunities come your way, stay open minded, remain flexible and keep a positive attitude. When a door closes, a new one opens. Always remember, it’s the human connection that brings people together and a through those connections a path will open.
When you’re in a leadership position, you have an obligation to innovate, grow and develop new and creative ways to meet the needs of customers. And you must do this while guiding your team and promoting their continued development and success. This all takes trust and respect, in both directions. At Maximus, I have found that trust and respect form the basis of bonds that can keep talented leaders engaged for decades. Our rising leaders see these behaviors modeled and it becomes a virtuous cycle.