About Catherine Q. Morse
Inspired by her family’s journey with their youngest son, Robbie, who has profound special needs, Catherine is actively involved in various non-profit causes and community initiatives around Central Texas. A graduate of Louisiana State University and the University of Houston Law School, Catherine has augmented her day job as an attorney with turns on the Boards of Directors for The Travis Light House for the Blind, Any Baby Can Family Resource Center, Goodwill of Central Texas and Mobile Loaves and Fishes. In 2010, Catherine joined the Austin Advisory Board of Citizen School and she serves on the Board of Directors of Envision Central Texas, a regional planning organization. She also serves on The University of Texas Service Scholar Community Advisory Committee. Catherine will join the United Way Capital Area as a Board member in January of 2011.
Upon her graduation from law school, Catherine worked in the labor & employment law section of Vinson & Elkins in Houston and later joined the Austin Office of Fulbright & Jaworski, where she also specialized in labor and employment law. In October of 1997, Catherine began her in-house counsel career with Applied Materials in Austin as Director of HR Legal Services. She subsequently worked at Freescale Semiconductor as the global Director of Labor & Employment law.
Catherine has served as General Counsel of Samsung Austin Semiconductor since August of 2007. She added Director of Public Affairs to her job title in July of 2010.
Which of your personal traits is most important in making you a good leader?
Without a doubt, I think resilience is the personal trait that has helped most to shape me as a leader. Through resilience I have been able to absorb hardship, accept set backs, to learn from mistakes and to move forward with purpose and resolve.
Who do you think was the greatest leader? Why?
Although it is nearly impossible to identify one individual as having been the greatest leader of all time, I have always felt that Franklin D. Roosevelt deserves to be part of that conversation. Roosevelt was tasked with confronting issues of a monumental proportions, and he gave the country hope during the devastating despair of the depression and then helped lead the country to victory during WWII.
What is one thing you want to tell the Austin community about your organization?
The Austin community should know that Samsung Austin Semiconductor is truly an Austin-based company. We were born and raised right here in Austin and our two top manufacturing executives were likewise born and raised right here in Austin. Too many folks in town think of us as a foreign company but in fact, we have a uniquely local flavor.
When you were 10, what did you want to be when you grew up?
When I was 10, I wanted to be a major league baseball player. I was a huge tomboy. I cannot even describe to you the level of my disappointment when it was finally pointed out to me that no women had ever made it to the majors!
What's the thing that you wished you studies in school, but didn't?
I was a liberal arts major and as such, I did not take even one business class in college. If I had so do it all over again, I would have take at least a couple of business classes so as to have at least some rudimentary understanding of how corporations and financial institutions work.
What book or movie character do you most identify with?
I am sort of a female Forrest Gump. Forrest was a very simple person in most respects and so am I. But Forrest had his priorities straight about the importance of loyalty, generosity, home, family and friends. At least I aspire to be like Forrest in these respects!
