CONNOR HOWLETT

Connor grew up in coastal town in Massachusetts and engaged in a variety of rigorous academic, athletic, and community-based activities. Driven by a strong desire to serve and fueled by an innate drive to continuously challenge himself, Connor accepted an appointment to the United States Military Academy at West Point and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the United States Army upon his graduation in 2015. He served as a Military Intelligence Officer with the 101st Airborne Division before joining the 3rd Battalion of the 75th Ranger Regiment. He completed four combat deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan over the course of his five and a half years of active military service. On his final deployment to Afghanistan in 2020, Connor faced unprecedented challenges stemming from the global pandemic and a reduction in forces that required innovative solutions to continue to deliver timely and accurate intelligence to ensure the security of Americans and Afghans throughout the country. To address the situation, he led the integration of a data science team into the organizational structure for the first time in its history, teaching the junior analysts and intelligence team leaders how to most effectively utilize their capabilities while spending time with the senior leaders and decision-makers to help build their trust in the analytical methods’ effectiveness and accuracy. This experience helped further evolve a passion for leading through innovation and he is excited to continue to lead in the private sector upon completing his MBA program.