His career spans senior roles in the U.S. Government, the private sector, and multinational cooperation frameworks, combining operational leadership in high-threat environments with strategic expertise in counterterrorism, threat analysis, and program development.

From 2016 to 2022, Mr. O’Connell served as Program Manager at DAn Solutions in Arlington, Virginia, where he directed major technology programs supporting the U.S. Departments of Defense, State, and Health and Human Services. He oversaw multimillion-dollar contract portfolios, information systems development, and business operations serving the U.S. Agency for International Development, while leading the company through successful CMMI Level 3 certification. Earlier, he advised U.S. defense and intelligence contractors on proposal development and technical strategies for large-scale federal programs.

Between 2009 and 2015, he was Executive Vice President and Chief Operations Officer of the International Maritime Security Corporation (IMSC), a Service Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business specializing in counter-piracy and maritime threat reduction. He guided the company from start-up to full operational capability, secured government and international partnerships, and developed advanced maritime security solutions. During this period, he also served as Advisor to the Preparedness Leadership Council, a Washington-based forum bringing together senior officials across defense, intelligence, and homeland security.

Earlier in his career, as Director of Operations for Intelligence Programs at Technology Associates International Corporation, Mr. O’Connell managed initiatives for the U.S. Departments of Defense and State, as well as the Mexican government. He led the development of a U.S.–Mexico public health biosurveillance network under bilateral presidential authorization and supported projects that positioned his company for major federal contract awards.

From 1981 to 2007, he held senior analytical and operational positions within the U.S. Department of Defense, reaching the GS-15 level. Deployed across Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, and Central Asia, he directed intelligence and interagency operations in support of counterterrorism and counterinsurgency missions. His leadership contributed to the prevention of attacks against U.S. and allied personnel and to the creation of enduring models for intelligence coordination.

Mr. O’Connell is the author of several analyses on maritime and transnational threats, including Predicting Piracy (2009), Commercial Shipping: The New Threat Nexus (2010), Changing Threats in Maritime Piracy (2011), and Countering Piracy: More Than Just Countering Pirates (2012).

His service has been recognized with the Intelligence Community Trailblazer Award for Operational Innovation, the National Intelligence Distinguished Service Medal for Iraq Service, and the Interagency Mission Leadership Award.

He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and International Studies from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, with regional specializations in Russian and Chinese studies, and completed advanced language programs at the U.S. Defense Language Institute and the U.S. Department of State. 

A former member of the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, he speaks Russian and Czech, with additional proficiency in Serbo-Croatian and basic Mandarin.