K. Shawn RichardsonALMI · Systems Analyst III · Technical Lead

Sammons Financial Group Member Companies

Greater Sioux Falls Area · Full-time · On-site

• Define, develop, and implement systems supporting CyberLife, Life70, LifeComm, and other life insurance platforms; provide front-end interface support across multiple business lines.
• Lead production support, including offshore resource coordination, work prioritization, root-cause analysis, and knowledge transfer. Advise on process improvements, automation, risk reduction, and technical debt.
• Develop and maintain xPression correspondence for legacy and FAST platforms, supporting regulatory compliance, and optimize the SQL database used for document generation and integrations.
• Design and support an in-house in-force illustration platform integrated with CyberLife; maintain LAN batch jobs, automated policy-administration workflows, and the Edify IVR connecting mainframe and web systems.
• Support .NET, VB6, and C# applications. Analyze performance, define architectures, and guide upgrades, integrations, development, and deployment.
• Use ChatGPT and Copilot to improve code quality, accelerate development, and streamline testing; create and share custom GPT solutions to support team productivity and AI adoption.
• Mentor team members on mainframe integration, coding standards, and release processes.

S&R Favors

Greater Sioux Falls Area · Family-run e-commerce business

• Operated a home-based business delivering personalized candy and party favors nationwide.
• Designed and developed a Perl-based website with a dynamic HTML storefront, shopping cart, secure payment processing, order management, and inventory control.
• Created marketing and web assets using Adobe Photoshop and Microsoft Publisher.

Jackson National Life · Contracted through iVantage Group

Lansing, Michigan · On-site

• Contributed to the conversion of approximately 500,000 fixed index annuity policies, valued at more than $18 billion, from VantageOne to CyberLife release 0701.
• Expanded VSAM policy data structures and developed automated renewal and end-of-option correspondence, Performance Plus agent-data integration, and policy value increase notifications.
• Used DB2 with embedded SQL for online and batch interest-rate and cap-rate processing supporting fixed and indexed funds.
• Implemented state-specific maturity validations and premium credit processing for new issues and early withdrawals; developed policy statement and actuarial extracts for parallel testing and third-party subsystem balancing.
• Delivered design, development, regression testing, and production implementation support.

DXC Technology / CSC · Financial Services Group (formerly Cybertek)

Greenwood Village, Colorado · Full-time

• Delivered CyberLife and Wealth Management Accelerator / VantageOne solutions using COBOL, Assembler, DB2, and VSAM.
• Led technical analysis, design, and development for life insurance and annuity products across new business, administration, billing, distribution, reporting, and correspondence.
• Delivered client-specific enhancements for New York Life, Pacific Life, Lincoln Benefit Life (Allstate), Swiss Re, Nationwide, Travelers, Sammons, ING, Allianz, and Sun Life.
• Developed bonus-interest processing, agent persistency and sales tracking, death-benefit options, policy value forecasting, statements, electronic funds transfer enhancements, and actuarial calculations.
• Integrated VP/MS, Performance Plus, and DataExchange. Supported Term, UL, VUL, and indexed annuity conversions, CyberLife upgrades, selected enhancement migrations, and VantageOne policy pages, confirmations, and VUL conversions.
• Authored requirements, system analyses, program and data specifications, pseudocode, and test plans; contributed to internal conversion data warehousing tools.
• Supported project management through critical-path tracking, risk assessment, and resource coordination while serving in a team supervisory capacity.

Additional role: Senior Supervisor · 1998 – 2007

• Managed up to 15 programmer/analysts, overseeing project assignments, utilization, time allocations, vacation scheduling, and career development.
• Conducted performance evaluations, interviewed candidates, and managed team and client conflicts while maintaining hands-on technical responsibilities.

Dell Services (formerly Perot Systems)

Greater Denver Area & Detroit, Michigan

• Anthem Blue Cross & Blue Shield / OHMS (1997): Administered a UNIFY database application on AS/400, developed C++ and ACCELL 4GL data transformations, maintained database integrity with SQL, and led Y2K data-conversion work.
• Chrysler MOPAR: Developed COBOL, embedded DB2 SQL, and CICS components for an automated IVR parts-ordering system, including hazardous-material identification and real-time inventory updates for U.S. and Canadian dealers.
• Conseco Life Insurance / Life Partners Group: Enhanced CK4 and CyberLife for Term and Universal Life products using COBOL, CICS, MVS/JCL, and DB2. Supported production, on-call batch resolution, policy migrations, and IVR integrations for real-time in-force policy updates.

Walmart

Grand Junction, Colorado

• Customer Service Manager (1995): Supervised cashiers, the service desk, and layaway; managed scheduling, resource allocation, cash controls, security coverage, and customer issue resolution.
• Manager Trainee / Cashier: Completed cross-functional training in cash office operations, UNIX-based UPC inventory control, invoicing, direct store delivery, claims, and electronics sales as a computer consultant.
• Participated in a management program aligned with Business Administration internship requirements at Colorado Mesa University.

Public Service Company of New Mexico (PNM)

Albuquerque–Santa Fe Metropolitan Area

• Maintained technical documentation for the McDonnell Douglas PERMAC vehicle fleet maintenance system, including job scheduling, data flow diagrams, and program architecture.
• Developed enhancements to COBOL applications, JCL processes, and CICS screens supporting system functionality and maintenance.