Patrick OConnell (HS2)

An accomplished public and private sector executive, Patrick O'Connell worked overseas for nearly two decades in Japan, Australia, Singapore, the Middle East, and the United Kingdom. One of his UK roles involved serving as interim program and strategy director at High Speed Rail 2 Ltd. (HS2) in London. At HS2, Patrick O'Connell led an $85-billion project for a next-generation high-speed rail program. Later, he served as interim chairman and chief executive officer of Aquila Air Traffic Management Services Ltd. There, he headed a $2.25-billion modernization program for the United Kingdom's military air traffic control system.

Currently based in Washington, D.C., Patrick O'Connell serves as chief of naval personnel for the United States Navy. In this position, he has created a comprehensive program for transforming the business processes and technologies used to manage personnel. This program was approved for implementation at the end of 2016.

Earlier in his career, Mr. O'Connell held executive positions at British Telecommunications, Serco UK, ThalesRaytheonSystems, and Raytheon Corporation. He holds a doctor of philosophy in computer science from George Washington University and is a lecturer with the University of Oxford in England.