Charles (Charlie) Sowell is the Chief Executive Officer at SE&M Solutions in Harrisburg,

Pennsylvania. SE&M provides personnel security and insider threat professional services to

federal and commercial clients.

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Charlie has 22 years in industry from the intelligence analyst to CEO level in small, medium and

large businesses. He served in the federal government as the Deputy Assistant Director for

Special Security and Program Executive for Security Clearance Reform at the Office of the

Director of National Intelligence (ODNI). He established and led the DNI’s Security Executive

Agent national policy and oversight office responsible for the $5B+ USG security clearance

enterprise. He also served as Senior Advisor to the DNI for Personnel Security issues. He was

appointed as a Senior National Intelligence Service (SNIS) officer in 2008.

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Charlie retired from the Navy as a Commander in 2015 following 27 years of active duty and

reserve assignments as a Commanding Officer, Executive Officer, Operations Officer,

Intelligence Officer, NCIS Agent and Intelligence Specialist (enlisted). He received his Bachelor of

Arts in International Studies with Honors from Old Dominion University and his Master of

Science in Strategic Intelligence from the Joint Military Intelligence College (now National

Intelligence University). He completed the University of Michigan, Ross School of Business

Executive Program “Leading the IC” in 2012.

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Charlie has been a guest commentator on Fox Business News, MSNBC’s Ali Velshi show, WTOP

Federal News Radio, the Washington Post, New York Times, Defense News, ClearanceJobs and

other publications, providing background on national security issues.