Robert O’Connell has 40+ years of U.S. and foreign experience in starting and managing financial and business services, consumer products, manufacturing, distribution, and technology-driven enterprises. He led the turnaround of a publicly-traded consumer goods importer, the growth of a medical equipment manufacturer, the startup of a commercial real estate services group, and the strategic startup of a new manufacturing division of a public company.

Robert has served as CEO and board member of two public companies, senior manager of two public firms, and founding Chairman/CEO of one private firm. His areas of expertise are operations, sales and marketing, strategic planning, commercial real estate, supply chain optimization, international sourcing, and M&A.

Through his early years as an institutional broker and advisor for several NYSE firms, he has widely lectured senior executives and managers throughout the financial services industry. Bob holds a B.S in Chemistry and an MBA.

Robert has realized the value of education to open doors from an early age; he was the first of his family to go further than high school in his education.

His desire to learn was initially stimulated by his mother who was interested in having an excellent vocabulary and loved grammar and spelling. He was not inspired by many teachers as he grew up,  but the few who saw some potential in him had a lasting impact.

As he raised his children, he began to understand that a good teacher can create an environment but that learning occurs when the student can see the value of what was being taught in his or her life. He saw that great teachers inspire students to realize their potential through focus and effort and to feel they can do well in life.

Each child has talents and abilities that can bring fulfillment and purpose if properly directed. His role in supporting public education is to help create a Culture of Learning in each school and assist the administrators, faculty, students, and parents to reinforce the timeless principles of growth, development, and engagement.