Shawn Driver Integrates Military Ops and New Tech Savvy to Drive Defense Innovation

Celebrating 10 Under 10 honoree Shawn Driver, MBA ’19

An expert at the intersection of military operations and new technologies who is adept in marketing strategy and analytics and a U.S. Army helicopter pilot, Shawn Driver, MBA ’19, a graduate of the Two-Year MBA program at the Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management, is one of the 2024 10 Under 10 Notable Alumni honored by the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business.

A Special Operations veteran of the U.S. Army, Driver leads industry engagement at Army Futures Command, where his job is to ensure the Army remains at the forefront of technological innovation. He was formerly a commercial engagement manager at Army Applications Laboratory, where he hosted U.S. Army market intelligence events focused on exploring the opportunities and challenges of new technologies.

Following graduation, Driver held roles in marketing strategy and planning as well as client solutions at Dell Technologies; he also managed marketing analytics at Salesforce. Before earning his MBA, he was a helicopter pilot in the U.S. Army, where he honed leadership skills as a platoon leader—including a year-long combat deployment in Afghanistan—and later became a company commander conducting aviation operations near the Black Sea. In his final role with the U.S. Army, he planned, resourced, and synchronized operations for the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne), an elite force also known as Night Stalkers.

Driver hails from Arlington, VA, and now lives in Austin. Asked what he does when not making power moves, he responded: “I’m cooking dinner, taking the kids to practice, planning our next big trip, going to concerts, and carving out time to reset.”

Learn more about Driver in this Q&A.

A strong a sense of duty and ownership

What drives your commitment and focus in your professional career?

Driver: In addition to the countless mentors I’ve had along the way, I think it’s a sense of duty and ownership that I gained as a young leader in the Army. The military gives you an incredible amount of responsibility very early in your career, which I learned during my first deployment as a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter pilot with the 101st Airborne Division, leading missions in the unforgiving terrain of southern Afghanistan. Once you take off from the base, it’s entirely up to you and your crew to execute the mission and bring everyone home safe. You can’t delegate that kind of responsibility. As a result, I gained the confidence that my opinion mattered and developed a mindset where I take ownership and contribute to the team’s success, regardless of my seniority.

Want to change the world? Coach T-Ball.

What inspires you to dedicate your time and energy to this community service? What impact do you want to have in the world?

Driver: Investing in our families and communities is a great way to make positive change in the world. A few years ago, my son was excited to play T-ball for the first time. The only problem was—his team didn’t have a coach. I wasn’t sure I’d have the time to help and I was less confident I could corral a bunch of uncoordinated four-year-olds for a couple of hours a week. However, I saw an opportunity to step up and realized that a minor time commitment on my part would create a critical opportunity for these kids to learn and grow together, which has inspired me to coach ever since.

Keeping Austin Weird (and Gorges) – a Cornellian in Texas

What drives your continued engagement with and contribution to the Cornell community?

Driver: Cornell is a very special place: Elite yet somehow still egalitarian, as it was so eloquently described in the video celebrating Cornell’s 150th anniversary, “Glorious to View.” From the admissions process, through the entire MBA program, and now as a graduate living nearly 2,000 miles away in Texas, I still feel a profound connection to the campus and the tight-knit community of Cornellians across the world. Whether it’s catching up with faculty, staff, and classmates or meeting up with the Cornell Club of Austin, Cornell continues to be a part of my life.

What does being selected for the 10 Under 10 Notable Alumni list mean to you?

Driver: I feel an immense sense of pride to be included on this list. For me, it signifies two things: Anyone from any background can make a complete pivot while gaining a world-class education and advancing their career significantly within just a few years after graduation. Inclusion on this distinguished list also signifies Cornell’s continued appreciation and commitment to veterans, as it has shown for years through programs like the Peter and Stephanie Nolan Veterans Professional Scholarship Fund.

Risk + faith = big returns

What are the most valuable things you learned at Cornell that have helped you in your career?

Driver: The first lesson came through the sheer act of committing to leave behind my career to go back to school. It gave me the confidence that a little risk and a big leap of faith can yield seriously outsized returns. Cornell also reinforced the power of critical thinking, analytical rigor, and the importance of building relationships that aren’t just transactional, but are based on connection, mutual respect, trust, and a genuine desire to help others succeed.

Understanding financial statements is fundamental to success

Did any particular faculty or staff member(s) influence you on your chosen career path?

Driver: The faculty and staff at Cornell are all world-class. During my last semester at Johnson, I had the privilege of taking Financial Statement Analysis with Professor Sanjeev Bhojraj [alumni professor in asset management and the faculty co-director of the Parker Center for Investment Research]. What I found most valuable about his course was the recognition that regardless of where you end up after graduation—be it in marketing, consulting, operations, or finance—a deep understanding of financial statements is fundamental to success in business. What truly set the course apart, however, was Professor Bhojraj himself. Not only is he a seasoned practitioner in the field, but his affable and approachable demeanor made the material engaging and accessible, all while reinforcing analytical rigor.

Data is important

Describe a challenge you encountered as you built your career and how you overcame it.

Driver: One of the biggest challenges in beginning any new career is the disparity in depth of knowledge and intuition compared to those who have been in the field longer. This can be particularly daunting for MBA candidates undergoing career pivots. My time at Johnson underscored the importance of being data-driven. In situations where intuition is lacking, turning to data becomes crucial. By digging into the data, not only can you accelerate your ramp up, but you’ll likely illuminate new insights that can propel the organization forward.

Following through on a bold plan

What is the proudest moment of your career or of your personal life?

Driver: One moment that stands out where these two domains converged is when we made the 14-hour drive from Savannah, Georgia, to Ithaca after I left the Army. The kids and dogs were snugly secured in the back of the Suburban, with our cargo trailer hitched up behind us. After two days on the road, we’d finally crossed into central New York. Watching our daughter run up and down the hill at the rest stop in Bemus Point, it all kind of hit me. This plan that we’d started probably two years earlier was unfolding in front of us. We were really doing it. Reflecting on that pivotal moment, I couldn’t have predicted where that initial step would lead us, but I now see it as a defining moment—a turning point in our journey.

What do you do to recharge?

Driver: As little as possible.

Seriously though, I have been much more deliberate about how I recharge throughout the day. There are so many things vying for our mental energy that the most effective way I’ve found to process all the noise and reset is to carve out time throughout the day to take a break, go for a short walk, sit on a comfy chair, sit outside in the sun, or if I’m super lucky and the kids don’t melt down, go to bed early.

What do you wish you’d known as a current student and what advice would you give to students today?

Driver: Savor the moment. It’s easy to feel pressured to be laser-focused on recruiting, especially when you’re leaving behind a successful career, with or without a family. While figuring out your next career move is clearly why you’re there, it’s important to use your time to relax, reflect, and grow. The hard part is over. You did it. You got in. It goes by so fast. Do what you’re there to do but make sure you carve out time for all the other stuff. You earned it.