Our People
Chairman - Mr. Patrick O'Brien
The company has Mr. Patrick O’Brien (British) as its chairman. He is a retired diplomat from the British Foreign Service with 33 years experience worldwide. His Specific skills include:
- Private Sector/Government partner sourcing for specific projects in West African countries.
- Management consultancy focused on organization structures, work flows, work systems, outsourcing, and equipment/material procurement.
His diplomatic work history is as follows:
2002 – March 2004: Head of Media and Public Affairs, British High
Commission, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
- Responsible for all public diplomacy activities in Canada.
- Core activities include briefing media on British policies on international issues, media management of specific issues, press conferences, placing articles in Canadian press.
2001: Diplomat Adviser to Spanish Foreign Service (7 months secondment from British Diplomat Service)
1998 - 2001: Deputy Head of Mission, British Embassy, Dakar, Senegal. Also charge d’Affaires to Guinea Conakry and accredited to Mali,Guinea-Bissau and Cap Verde.
- Main responsibilities included managing Embassy in Dakar, supervising consuls in Guinea, Conakry and Mali and commercial work in all countries to which accredited.
1992 – 1997: Head of Press and Public Affairs section/UK Spokesman, British Embassy, Brussels, Belgium.
- Responsible for all public diplomacy activities in Belgium and the official commemoration of the 40th anniversary of the liberation of Belgium activities in 1994. Awarded MBE from HRH prince Charles in 1995.
1991: British Charge d’Affaires, British Embassy, Kinshasa, Democratic
Republic of the Congo (formerly known as Zaire.)
1988 – 1991: Management Consultancy Services, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, London.
- Responsible for full range of management consultancy services to Foreign and Commonwealth Office, specializing in information technology project reviews and overseas posts management and staffing levels, work processes and outputs
1984 – 1988: Management Officer/Vice Consul, British Embassy, Abidjan, Cote d’voire.
- Responsible for all visa/entry clearance work and consular protection in accredited countries. Also accredited to Burkina Faso and Niger.
1982 – 1984: Personnel Officer, British Embassy, Brussels, Belgium.
- Responsible for recruitment of Belgian staff at all levels and the welfare and operational management of all UK-based staff.
1980 – 1982: Policy Officer, European Union Department, Foreign and
Commonwealth Office, London.
- Responsible for briefing papers and support staff management.
1978 – 1980: Migration and Visa Section, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, London.
- All policy issues dealing with visas and entry clearance work.
1974 – 1978: Chancery, British High Commission, Georgetown, Guyana.
- Communications, accounts, management and archives systems.
1971 – 1974: Chancery, British High Commission, Lagos, Nigeria.
LANGUAGES:
- French - Diplomatic Service Operational level (2004)
- Spanish - Diplomatic Service Operational level (2003)
- Dutch - Diplomatic Service Operational level (1998)
- Portuguese - Diplomatic Service Operational level (1998)
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