ACC AWARDS 2018 FINALISTS MANUEL CAIRO
TODD CARLSON
TRACY CHENEY
GREATEST CHALLENGE: “Developing real executive presence within a profession requiring nimbleness and constant learning is an ongoing challenge. Mentorship, honing communication and listening skills, taking initiative and embracing my identity have all aided the issue.”
GREATEST CHALLENGE: “I was the first in-house lawyer at both Swift and Knight. The challenge was moving from a legal adviser to a strategic business advisor. I had to learn the business of transporting truckloads of cargo throughout the United States. After that, the challenge was to persuade the company’s decision makers that the legal department should not be viewed as a roadblock, but as a department that can assist the company in achieving its business objectives. I overcame those challenges by learning the transportation business and developing legal solutions that achieved the company’s objectives.”
BACKGROUND: Cheney oversees all legal, regulatory and corporate governance matters.
Assistant general counsel Midwestern University
SOURCE OF PRIDE: “I am proud that my legal career has been with organizations that compel professional development, community engagement and the need to support something bigger than myself. Those platforms empower me to give back. The Fellowship for Advancement and Resources, which I helped spearhead, is an example.”
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AB | January - February 2018
General counsel Knight Transportation
General counsel Early Warning Services
GREATEST CHALLENGE: “Upon being named Early Warning’s general counsel following a spinoff, I had to inspire the confidence of my board and executive team that I had what it takes to lead the legal strategy of a fast-growing company, while navigating an increasingly complex regulatory environment. More than 11 years, five staff attorneys, 700 employees, three acquisitions and multiple product launches later, I approach each new challenge with the same mindset of being a valued partner to progress the company’s business goals.”