Michael O'Connell

Transformation and Product Delivery Director | Chief Operating Officer (COO) Product Innovation | Digital Transformation | Business Scale-up

Ireland

About

I bridge corporate scale with startup agility, leveraging AI, Digital and emerging technologies to drive customer and operational excellence, accelerate product innovation, and deliver sustainable growth. Strategic and execution-driven digital leader with 20+ years’ experience scaling businesses, building high-growth teams, and delivering digital transformation across startups, scaleups, and global enterprises. With a founder’s mindset, I've successfully managed £50m+ programmes, enabled multiple startup exits, and led digital transformations that fuel sustainable growth. Passionate about driving change, creating value, and reimagining business models for the future. CAREER HIGHLIGHTS ● Founded and scaled Etc., BT Group’s internal startup incubator, delivering 20+ pioneering products across Drones, HealthTech, EV, FinTech, and Data platforms. ● Led global expansion of Vodafone’s first-party consumer IoT portfolio, launching an IoT platform and products across multiple markets. ● Directed Diagnostics and Energy Management programmes at Hive (Centrica), launching multiple global products and EV solutions. ● Co-founded and operated private equity ventures leading to successful exits, including HomeSun (sold to Aviva for £100m) and FlowGem (sold to Hive in 2016).

Experience

  • Transformation and Delivery Director at Wesleyan
    2025 - Present · 1 yr 6 mos

    Currently leading the end-to-end transformation and delivery of NexGen by Wesleyan, the future digital wealth platform, operating across product, technology, and transformation. I work directly with C-Suite to accelerate delivery, modernise platforms, and introduce AI-driven capabilities that deliver real business outcomes. My focus is on: • AI-Driven Digital Transformation • Product & Platform Delivery at pace • Executing complex transformation in regulated environments

  • Founder and Managing Director at Digital First
    2025 - Present · 1 yr 6 mos

    Founder of Digital First, a boutique consultancy focused on AI-Driven Digital Transformation and digital product delivery.

  • Co-Founder and Senior Product Delivery Director (COO) at Etc.
    2022 - 2025 · 3 yrs

    ● Co-founded and launched Etc. at BT Group’s internal startup incubator, venture builder and innovation hub. ● Deliver a portfolio of 20+ pioneering products across EV, FinTech, Drones, HealthTech, and Data platforms: o EV: Introduced EV Connect, turning BT cabinets into EV charge points (CES Honouree). o FinTech: Built Etc. Pay, BT’s cloud-native payments stack with Tap-to-Pay for SMEs. o Drones: UK’s first commercial drone corridor, drone SIM, and drone platform. o HealthTech: Launched Healthy You, NHS-commended remote patient monitoring. o Data Platforms: Released Active Intelligence, converting telco data into real-world insights. o Each was built from scratch, moving fast from zero to launch with real impact with fast-paced delivery (startup mindset). ● Leverage Generative AI to optimise product development, operational efficiency, and technology scaling. ● Manage multi-million-pound investments and commercial partnerships.

  • Head of Programme (Product, Consumer IoT) at Vodafone
    2020 - 2022 · 2 yrs

    ● Joined to accelerate global launch of Vodafone’s first-party consumer IoT portfolio. ● Delivered the IoT platform, and a family of smart products across 13 markets.

  • Head of Programme (Diagnostics, Home Energy, Mobility) at Hive, a British Gas Innovation
    2016 - 2021 · 5 yrs

    ● Led Diagnostics and Smart Home product delivery across the UK, US, Canada, and Europe. ● Programme Lead for Centrica’s Group Transformation, launching Home Energy Management and EV mobility solutions.