Pat Host 
- Charles O’Brien, senior vice president for civil solutions at SOSi, is helping organizations with language accessibility needs bridge communication gaps
- He’s also leading the expansion of SOSi’s state-level support through a contract administered by a Minnesota public agency
- He sat down with ExecutiveBiz to talk remaining resilient in a turbulent policy environment and leveraging cross-domain experience to drive mission outcomes
After 22 years in active service and four years as an Army civilian, Charles O’Brien wanted to leverage his military experience to continue serving the nation. He is now SOSi’s senior vice president for civil solutions, where he leads teams supporting the government’s border security, healthcare, emergency response, disaster relief and humanitarian missions. Their work assists some of the most vulnerable populations in the country, particularly those with limited English proficiency.
O’Brien’s civil solutions team of 5,000 employees and contractors provides interpretation services to ensure due process for individuals in immigration court proceedings, to assist victims of crime and injured workers in clinical settings, and to support disaster survivors seeking assistance while applying for benefits.
He’s currently focused on connecting with organizations that have language accessibility needs so SOSi can help them bridge communication gaps. O’Brien is also leading the expansion of SOSi’s state-level support. The company recently won a cooperative purchasing contract administered by a Minnesota public agency, which allows government and education entities across the country to procure language services and technologies through competitively-awarded agreements.
O’Brien recently sat down with ExecutiveBiz for his second Spotlight interview to discuss how SOSi remains resilient in a turbulent policy environment, how he maintains an understanding of evolving requirements and how his teams leverage SOSi’s cross-domain experience to drive mission outcomes.
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ExecutiveBiz: Government missions are increasingly subject to unpredictable surges and shifting policy landscapes. How does SOSi remain resilient and adaptable to sudden changes in priorities and demand?
Charles O’Brien: As a private, founder-led organization, SOSi has a structural agility to pivot faster than larger competitors. This flexibility was vital when the Department of Justice’s Executive Office for Immigration Review, or EOIR, experienced explosive growth. SOSi maintains a robust network of professionals across hundreds of languages and dialects, which has allowed us to provide uninterrupted language support, even when immigration court volume climbed from 2,000 to over 18,000 hearings per month. Having a talent pool ready for immediate deployment enables seamless transitions during periods of rapid expansion and dynamic requirements changes.
A team of qualified, dedicated experts, supported by operational excellence grounded in proven methodologies, is the foundation of resilience. Technology then acts as a force multiplier when scaling to meet sudden surges and growing demand for efficiency. Operating at the intersection of technology, intelligence and language services, SOSi can create and rapidly deploy integrated solutions that optimize complex workflows.
To efficiently manage program complexity, we introduced an automated workflow management system that shows the real-time status of work orders and utilization of over 2,500 EOIR interpreters, saving time and money. In another program, our language access suite, which delivers scheduled and on-demand interpretation services to more than 17,500 patients monthly, cut wait times by 40 percent.
EBiz: As a leader, how do you maintain an understanding of evolving requirements across agencies and missions?
O’Brien: Cultivating high-touch relationships with customers and maintaining a continuous pulse on the policy landscape is critical in an environment where mission parameters constantly shift.
I hold regular working groups that bring together our internal staff, specialized consultants and government representatives to maintain a comprehensive understanding of emerging operational demands. We take a collaborative approach and look beyond our immediate scope of work and contractual obligations to help the government address complex language accessibility issues. For example, I assembled an advisory board to update DOJ terminology and ensure our interpreters utilize accurate, inclusive and respectful language that reflects current legal standards.
We also remain involved with industry groups and non-profit organizations aligned with our customers’ missions. For example, I serve on the advisory board of the Border Patrol Foundation, of which SOSi is a national partner. Such partnerships allow us to gain a ground-level perspective on immediate needs and ultimately deliver effective support and solutions.
EBiz: How are you leveraging SOSi’s cross-domain expertise, hands-on operational experience and tech capabilities to help federal partners ensure mission success with greater efficiency?
O’Brien: With cross-domain expertise, SOSi doesn’t view challenges in a vacuum. We draw from a diverse pool of operational insight and capabilities to develop solution-based offerings that blend specialized knowledge with technology.
We go beyond addressing single pain points. Our approach focuses on connecting the dots to assemble comprehensive solutions to systemic challenges. By combining vast experience with advanced technology, we ensure that every integrated capability we deliver provides maximum impact for our federal partners.
