Shannon Browning, Technical Lead with Haskell’s System Analytics team, has earned both Senior Membership status and the Volunteer Service Award at the Institute for Operations Research and Management Science (INFORMS), a network of data and research scientists and professionals devoted to the mission of making and promoting “Smarter Decisions for a Better World.”

Senior Members are appointed based on their longstanding commitment to INFORMS and their industry. Five years of active involvement is the base-level requirement, but those appointed are also “the ones who get involved, contribute and engage.”

Browning graduated from Georgia Tech in 2002 with a degree in industrial engineering and spent the first few years of her career in Atlanta and the United Kingdom. After returning to school to earn a Master’s in accounting, Browning joined the Haskell systems analytics team as a Senior Engineer. About the same time, INFORMS launched its CAP (Certified Analytics Professional) program. 

Because the program was so new, she had to take the initiative to guide herself through the required reading and ensure she was prepared for the final certification test. After a year of studying, Browning achieved CAP certification in 2015 and used her knowledge and research to augment her work at Haskell. 

“It really helped my work on Haskell’s systems analytics team because I pushed myself to practice skills I hadn’t really needed since college and to then apply those skills to my work as well,” she said. 

In 2016, Browning joined Haskell’s IT department as the Manager of Business Analytics, combining her experience with business, accounting and computer technology to enhance the team’s business intelligence capabilities. Since 2021, she has been back with the systems analytics team, now as the technical lead, where her experience and engagement with INFORMS enhance the whole team.

“Shannon is incredibly smart, and I think her involvement with INFORMS really comes into play by giving her new ways to grow and challenge not only herself and her team but ultimately the whole industry,” said Kevin Meek, Vice President of Advisory Services at Haskell. “She has been part of INFORMS committees for quite a while now, and as much as it impacts her work at Haskell, she also serves as a champion of their organization.”

Browning has volunteered with INFORMS in many ways. She has led and attended a variety of conversations and panels, including participating in discussions about AI, how it can integrate into analysis and the ethics of its use. She and her committee also hosted a diversity panel at a recent conference. Browning said she was “looking forward to doing more talks like that and staying really engaged with these conferences.” 

Recently, Browning served on a committee to revise and improve the CAP program, and her contribution led to her nomination and recognition for the Volunteer Service Award.

“I’ve maintained my certification for nine years now, and it’s been really cool to give back to that effort,” she said.

Through this process, Browning and the committee have worked with people across the industry to optimize the job task analysis for the certification program. Now that it has been revitalized, INFORMS can nearly triple its size, allowing more professionals to advance their work and that of the industry. 

“I’ve never seen a group of volunteers put this much blood, sweat, and tears into a project,” said Carol Curley, INFORMS Director of Education & Industry Programs, who oversees the CAP certification program at INFORMS. “The value that Shannon brought to this volunteer group and the work that they did was immeasurable.”

Curley worked with Browning over the course of eight months, and the hard work and intelligence that she witnessed led her to nominate Browning and the volunteer task force for the award. 

“So much of my work with INFORMS has directly informed my work with Haskell, and I think it’s really important to bring in and engage with these ideas across industries,” Browning said. “Haskell and my team have been a really valuable support and have encouraged me to grow professionally in all these ways.”

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