Founder and CEO, Space Economy Rising, LLC 2021-Present Mr. O’Connell serves as the CEO of a consulting and advisory firm focused on helping early- and mid-stage space startups and other technology companies. He serves as the Executive Adviser to the CEO of Ross Acquisition Corporation II, a special purpose acquisition company focused on disruptive technologies. He also serves as an advisor to financial organizations looking to invest in space technologies, and on trends in different space market segments and on the space economy generally. Mr. O’Connell also advises government officials at all levels (e.g., US State and local, International) on how to increase their participation in the space economy. Mr. O’Connell is a regular speaker on space commerce at professional contacts and with the media. Space Economy Rising currently has clients in the United States, Canada, Europe, and Japan.
Presidential Appointee, Director (SES), Office of Space Commerce
U.S. Department of Commerce 2018-2021 Mr. O’Connell served as the Director of the Office of Space Commerce (OSC), where he revitalized the Executive Branch advocate for the U.S. commercial space industry. In this role, he provided Executive support to the Secretary and Deputy Secretary in support of National Space Council and other U.S. space decision-making activities.
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He managed a growing office that served as the lead space policy organization in the Department of Commerce, including management of cross-Departmental, interagency, and international outreach on space policy and regulatory matters.
OSC held extensive interactions with industry to understand emerging space missions and the impediments in bringing them to market.
Within this position, Mr. O’Connell led the Department’s response and implementation of National Space Council Directives and Presidential Executive Orders. He played a lead role, per Space Policy Directive – 2 in the reform of commercial remote sensing regulations (May 2020) and led the Department’s assumption of responsibilities, per Space Policy Directive – 3, on a wide range of technical, policy, and international efforts to improve space safety and sustainability. OSC routinely advocated for regulatory reform based on Administration policy, international developments, and industry input. Mr. O’Connell and OSC led the Department’s response to additional Space Council Taskers on the health and competitiveness of the U.S. commercial space industry, a new legal authorization designed to support on-orbit space missions, and economic initiatives designed to broaden USG support for the U.S. commercial space industry. He was granted the Vice President’s Dedicated Service Award for Support to the National Space Council.
Mr. O’Connell also led the Department’s international activities to highlight the role of the private sector in space, encourage new space partnerships, ensure the competitiveness of U.S. commercial space industry and advance American leadership in space safety and sustainability. Of note, he was named to a three- person “Space Delegation” that visited Luxembourg for discussions with the Economy and Finance ministers, and the Luxembourg Space Agency, and to brief U.S. European Ambassadors on the state of space commerce (September 2020). His other overseas space engagements include participation in the U.S.-Japan Comprehensive Space Dialogue and high-level discussions with the EU, India, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, and the Commonwealth partners.
President and CEO, Innovative Analytics and Training, LLC 2007 - 2018 Mr. O’Connell founded and led a policy support and knowledge discovery firm with government and private sector clients. In this role, he focused the firm’s work on strategic decision-making, anticipatory analysis, and other analytic approaches required to address key questions for U.S. government or private sector clients. IAT’s contract work supported the analytic activities of the U.S. Intelligence Community, including the National Intelligence Council, and provided tailored analysis for private sector clients in the aerospace and information technology sectors. IAT also conducted specialized analytic training on topics such as cyber security, cloud computing, and counter-threat finance. He served formally as an Independent Advisor to the Director, NGA and as a senior advisor in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.
Vice President, Intelligence Community Programs, Defense Group, Inc., and Director, Center for Intelligence Research and Analysis (CIRA) 2004 - 2007
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Mr. O’Connell led development of a Defense Group, Inc. research and business effort within the U.S. Intelligence Community. He was the founder and first Director of its Center for Intelligence Research and Analysis (CIRA), which focused on analytic tradecraft, advanced analysis, counterterrorism and homeland security analysis, as well as the implications of geospatial technologies for intelligence.
Director, Intelligence Policy Center, RAND Corporation 1996 - 2004 Mr. O’Connell led the development of RAND’s research and business efforts to support the U.S. Intelligence Community and the Department of Defense. His responsibilities included development of business and research strategies, organizational outreach, management of research investment funds, contract
development and oversight of multiple research projects. In this role, he was successful in attracting key RAND staff to participating in intelligence-related research, as well as bridging different institutional cultures while helping to maintain research quality. His substantive research issues included analytic tradecraft, imagery and geospatial intelligence analysis, and broader issues concerning the transformation of U.S. intelligence.
Senior International Policy Analyst, RAND Corporation 1995 - 2004 As a senior policy analyst, Mr. O’Connell also performed political, technical, security, regulatory, and market analysis on emerging information technologies, with particular focus on space-based remote sensing systems. During this period, he was called to serve as the Executive Secretary of the Independent Commission on the National Imagery and Mapping Agency (NIMA), which was instrumental in leading to the formation of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA). His other RAND activities included leading research on the impact of commercial space on the future security and business environments. He also conducted analysis on the changing nature of the U.S. intelligence enterprise, including comparisons with commercial information and business intelligence domains. During 1996-1997, Mr. O’Connell also served as the Deputy Director of RAND’s Center for Information Revolution Analysis.
Senior Staff Officer, Office of the Director of Central Intelligence 1993 - 1995 As a senior staff officer on the Community Management Staff, Mr. O’Connell coordinated Intelligence Community-wide program, policy, and budget issues for the Director of Central Intelligence (DCI). He was responsible for policy liaison with other government agencies, particularly on the interaction between intelligence and U.S. national security policy. His portfolio also included declassification policy, the DCI’s openness program, information operations, and various projects designed to derive greater national benefit from intelligence technology programs, including in areas of environmental change and breast cancer detection. He also helped conceptualize a new approach for the execution of DCI’s intelligence and policy responsibilities.
Special Assistant to the Vice President for National Security Affairs 1992 - 1993
As a special assignment, Mr. O’Connell was asked to provide top-level national
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security analysis to the Vice President and his national security advisor, based on current intelligence assessments and U.S. policy options. He also was asked to represent the Office of the Vice President in meetings with foreign officials, business executives, and the press.
Staff Officer, National Security Council 1990 - 1992 Senior Analyst, White House Situation Room
Mr. O’Connell researched international developments for senior White House and NSC officials, including the President. He served as primary briefer for the President during the first Gulf War and during other national security crises. He also served as briefer on the national security decision-making process, White House Situation Room operations, and crisis management issues. During this period, he oversaw the analytic production of five watch teams, including a combination of foreign service, military, intelligence, and communications personnel. He reviewed and disseminated all-source information on U.S. foreign policy and national security. He also served as a focal point for all aspects of crisis management, including planning and execution of the Situation Room crisis cell.
Intelligence Analyst and Staff Officer
U.S. Department of Defense 1982 - 1992 Mr. O’Connell held various analytic and intelligence support positions during the first decade of his work for the U.S. Intelligence Community. Highlights of these activities included serving as a Candidate to DCI Exceptional Intelligence
Analyst Program (1997); Liaison to the State Department’s Bureau for
Intelligence and Research (1996-1997); and Intelligence Program management (1995-1996). Heconducted research on various security issues, including intelligence support for low-intensity conflicts in the Western Hemisphere (1982-1992). He served as a senior intelligence analyst for Operation Just Cause (Panama 1989-1990).
