Shelley K. Finlayson

Shelley is an adept problem solver, keen observer, and insightful planner who can deliver high-impact, transformational outcomes through strategic insights, innovative ideas, strong communication, inclusive decision-making, and analytic excellence. Shelley’s expertise lies in navigating complex legal and operating environments, bringing out excellence within and across teams, increasing efficiency and innovation, and delivering in tight timeframes.

• Lead and manage cross-divisional organization of over 70 legal and professional staff to achieve ethics and compliance mission in legally complex, evolving, and politically charged environment. Responsible for measuring performance of the organization and the overall federal executive branch ethics program, encompassing 4,500 ethics officials and 2.1 million federal employees.

• Responsibility for all strategic and policy issues as well as continuing responsibilities of Chief of Staff and Chief Counsel.

• Provide critical support to Presidentially appointed Senate-confirmed Director on a broad range of internal and external legal, strategic, and organizational issues.

• Direct strategic planning, organizational performance, external communications, and enterprise risk management, including serving as chief liaison to Congress, resulting in concrete legislative victories and positive recognition by external stakeholders.

• Ensure organization’s legal compliance with a broad array of statutes, regulations, policies, and emerging issues including privacy, records, and fiscal and cyber security. Oversee litigation, responses to Congressional oversight, and organization’s repository of advice.

• Represent organization to a wide range of public, private, and international audiences, including national good-government organizations and global anti-corruption fora.

• Lead federal executive branch-wide education and training initiatives.

• Formulate, justify, and execute organization’s $20M+ performance-based budget as Chief Financial Officer, resulting in increased budgetary resources in environment of resource scarcity and unqualified opinions from external auditors.

• Lead and inspire a cross-functional staff through active talent development, performance management, and effective communication and collaboration, resulting in improved employee knowledge and skills as well as a strong culture of performance, as demonstrated by sustained increase in employee engagement. 

• Spearhead significant new initiatives, including successful launch and operation of federal executive branch-wide information technology system for use by 26,000 highest-level government officials. 

• Modernize organization’s operations, resulting in space consolidation and seamless, secure virtual environment.

• Develop and implement the organization’s legislative affairs program to monitor, analyze, report, and strategically respond to congressional activity on behalf of executive branch-wide ethics program. 

• Recruit, train, and lead a cross-functional team of attorneys to perform legislative and budget duties on behalf of the organization, including: (1) research and draft written materials for congressional hearings, nominations, briefings, and meetings, including legislation, performance, and budget submissions; (2) analyze legislation, advocate and educate on behalf of organization, and manage the legislative review system and nomination process for its presidentially appointed Senate-confirmed nominees; (3) develop and publish key resource materials including legislative histories, compilations of federal laws, web content, and legal advisories; and (4) inform executive leadership decisions. 

• Represent the organization to key stakeholders and audiences including the White House, congressional staff, legislative agencies such as GAO, CRS, and CBO, federal agencies, good government groups, and professional associations. Establish and lead a three-branch coalition of principal ethics officials.