Professional résumé

Don Papenbrock

Systems thinking · Process improvement · Applied technology

Profile

Senior individual contributor with 20+ years of experience designing and building analytics, data, automation, and operational technology solutions across Planning, Finance, Operations, Marketing, Sales, Product, and Engineering. Combines strong systems/process thinking with deep hands-on expertise in SQL, data modeling, BI, forecasting, application development, and workflow automation.

Known for taking loosely defined business problems from concept through working solution—connecting people, processes, information, and technology to improve decision-making and make work more effective.

Recipient of Cox Automotive’s 2015 Client Experience — Overlooking Boundaries award for innovation and high-impact contribution.

Core Capabilities

Systems & Process Thinking
Business Intelligence & Analytics
Advanced SQL & Data Modeling
Tableau & Visual Storytelling
Forecasting & Scenario Modeling
Data Quality, Validation & Reconciliation
Multi-Source Data Integration
Workflow & Process Automation
Operational Application Design
Decision-Support Platforms
AI-Enabled Development
Cross-Functional Partnership

Selected Professional Impact

Designed and delivered analytics, applications, and decision-support systems across Finance, Planning, Operations, Sales, Marketing, Product, Engineering, and Workforce Management.
Built reusable frameworks for cost, resource, financial, and operational modeling, replacing spreadsheet-heavy and manual workflows with centralized, repeatable execution.
Developed data platforms and reporting layers integrating financial actuals, operational systems, planning inputs, labor/resource data, project data, and other enterprise sources.
Created custom operational web applications and workflow tools used to improve planning, financial visibility, work management, sales operations, customer analytics, and employee productivity.
Applied AI-assisted development and structured knowledge techniques to accelerate solution delivery while maintaining strong business-context, validation, and technical ownership.

Selected Accomplishments

Created the NT2.0 Program Tableau suite integrating forecasts, actuals, activations, costs, and plan comparisons for executive summaries, finance forecasting, NAOP-to-LRP variance analysis, fiscal review, and detailed financial analysis.
Designed interactive Tableau experiences that allow leaders and business users to move from KPI and summary views into plan, period, market, vendor, project, and financial detail.
Conceived and delivered AskCJ, a CPR-embedded natural-language capability providing self-service access to governed Node, Cost Model, and SiteTracker information through reusable application services.
Converted AskCJ from concept to a working prototype within days, completed the base implementation in under two weeks, and expanded it across multiple analytical domains over approximately 45 days.
Implemented AskCJ in Python using Pydantic-AI, combining AI orchestration with deterministic handling of business terminology, dates, quantities, parameters, and domain rules.

Experience

Senior Manager, OSPC Planning

Cox Communications · Atlanta, GA | November 2023–Present

Principal individual contributor and solution architect delivering analytics, reporting, and planning capabilities across Planning, Finance, Operations, and Product/Engineering.

Serve as principal individual contributor and solution architect for analytics, modeling, planning automation, and applied technology initiatives supporting Planning, Finance, Operations, and Engineering.
Conceived and developed the Centralized Planning Repository (CPR), a multi-capability platform integrating planning, operational intelligence, modeling, forecasting, financial visibility, workflow, collaboration, and knowledge tools.
Built reusable Cost Model and Resource Model frameworks supporting high-volume scenario execution, assumptions management, statistical analysis, labor-demand forecasting, and planning decision support.
Reduced cost-model execution from approximately 2 hours to about 20 minutes while improving repeatability, transparency, and analytical traceability.
Developed Project Financials, integrating project-level financial activity across material, contract labor, and in-house labor to improve visibility into actual spending and cost composition.
Built operational and analytical views combining network, planning, subscriber, congestion, project, financial, and resource data into decision-ready reporting.
Designed AskCJ, a structured knowledge framework using domain-specific lexicons, business context, and strongly typed data models to provide conversational access to proprietary information without requiring an LLM for core functionality.
Developed workflow and collaboration capabilities including project/task management, accomplishments/goals, newsletters, employee recognition, tutorials, contextual help, and automated presentation generation.
Used AI-enabled development tools to accelerate prototyping, coding, testing, and refinement while retaining responsibility for architecture, business logic, validation, and production design.

Senior Financial Analyst / Manager, Data Analysis

Cox Communications · Atlanta, GA | October 2020–November 2023

Delivered forecasting, scenario analysis, and KPI reporting frameworks used by leadership to evaluate performance and prioritize investments.

Built forecasting, scenario-analysis, and KPI frameworks used by leadership to evaluate performance, investment priorities, and operational trends.
Developed Network Transformation forecasting and finance analytics, automating multi-source forecasting, LRP comparisons, actuals integration, and management reporting.
Built WorkforceLogiq data mirroring and analytical data structures supporting contract labor, purchase-order, invoice, workforce, and GL reconciliation reporting.
Developed Tableau reporting environments and operational dashboards supporting Finance and Network Transformation decision-making.
Created repeatable data pipelines and validation processes that reduced manual effort and improved confidence in reporting.

Data Analyst - Homelife Engineering

Cox Communications · Atlanta, GA | September 2017–October 2020

Created reporting data layers and dashboards supporting product insights and analysis of key performance signals for Engineering and Product teams.

Created the Homelife Engagement Scorecard, a customer-health model using 40+ behavioral, usage, device, and service signals to measure engagement and trend account behavior over time.
Built analytical data layers and Tableau dashboards supporting Product, Engineering, and Marketing analysis.
Developed customer segmentation and diagnostic reporting distinguishing customer non-use from service or equipment issues.
Created migration-planning and customer-batching frameworks supporting controlled platform-transition execution across geographic markets.

Senior Business Analyst - Client Experience

Cox Automotive / Manheim · Atlanta, GA | September 2013–September 2017

Designed digital listing applications, analytics dashboards, and operational tools for auction operations and customer care organizations.

Designed and built operational applications, analytics tools, and automation supporting digital sales, auction operations, customer care, and manufacturer services.
Developed the Central Listing platform, a rules-driven system automating vehicle qualification, listing schedules, synchronization, operational monitoring, and sales-channel analytics.
Built the Image Audit Application, integrating image records from approximately 82 distributed AS/400 environments into a centralized, high-speed quality-review workflow supporting a revenue-generating OEM service.
Developed Second Chance Sales integrations connecting on-premise auction systems with AWS-hosted digital sales capabilities using APIs and automated data exchange.
Built the Workforce Management Suite, supporting scorecards, call review, task management, adherence, availability, and real-time agent performance visibility.
Developed operational dashboards and workflow applications supporting listing readiness, sales performance, customer feedback, and business-process management.

Business Intelligence Developer

CBeyond Communications · Atlanta, GA | August 2012–September 2013

Developed web applications and data and reporting capabilities for customer care and sales operations.

Designed a call-center data warehouse and workforce reporting platform supporting operational performance, management visibility, and results transparency.
Developed reporting and analytical solutions supporting customer-care and workforce-management processes.

IS Business Intelligence Manager

Comcast · Atlanta, GA | February 2002–July 2012

Led a Business Intelligence team supporting Sales, Marketing, Operations, Customer Care, and Finance.
Designed and delivered 20+ custom web applications, operational tools, portals, and automation solutions.
Developed and managed commission and automated invoicing processes across sales and contractor channels, supporting revenue assurance and financial control.
Built and maintained an enterprise market data warehouse supporting reporting, analysis, and strategic decision-making.
Developed customer-care portals, financial tools, revenue-sharing applications, operational dashboards, and workflow automation.

Skills & capabilities

Systems thinking and process improvement
Planning and decision support
Analytics and data platforms
Software development and applied technology
AI-enabled development
React / Node.js
Python
JavaScript
SQL / PL/SQL
Tableau

Two disciplines.
A shared commitment to craft.