Brian O'Neill has over 35 years of experience managing humanitarian aid and development operations around the world. He has held leadership roles with the EU, NGOs, and international organizations in Africa, Asia, and Europe. His experience includes strategic planning, crisis response, post-conflict recovery, and managing large portfolios and staff in challenging environments.

1. Brian O'Neill
Casa Cadiz B111, Playa Del Duque,
Puerto Banus, Marbella,
29660 Nueva Andalucía, Spain.
Email: brianroneill2016@gmail.com and brianroneill@yahoo.com.
Tel: + 34 671249865. Skype name: brianroneill
Very highly qualified specialist in crisis and post-crisis management with over 35 years of field and HQ
experience in international aid institutions and non-government organisations in the management of
major humanitarian and development aid operations. Particular expertise in strategic analysis, research
and planning and in the design and implementation of operations. Excellent team management skills.
Extremely goal oriented and focussed. Very good negotiations and communications skills.
Nationality: Irish (b. 07/04/1951)
Civil status: Married with 2 children (Adam b. 27/10/1990 and Sara b.22/10/1995)
09/2016 to present: Independent Consultant
09/2013 – 08/2016 (retirement):
Head of Cooperation: EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Abuja, Nigeria.
Responsibility for the identification, programming and implementation of EU funded aid operations in
Nigeria and through ECOWAS. Management of 40 staff and a portfolio of over 2 Billion EUR. Particular
focus on improving access to quality primary health care, the fight against malnutrition, strengthening
resilience, supporting good governance, consolidating democracy, improving access to sustainable
energy and encouraging equitable economic growth and job creation. Contributed to the joint World
Bank, UN and EU Recovery and Peace Building needs Assessment for north-east Nigeria. Co-chaired the
International Donor Coordination Groups for the Power and Health sectors.
09/2005 - 08/2013
Head of West Africa: DG Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection (ECHO), Brussels, Belgium.
Identification, programming and management of EU funded humanitarian aid operations in West Africa.
Member of the EU crisis response mechanism. Supervision of the work of 7 desks and 30 field experts.
Situation analysis and needs assessments for 17 West African countries. Covered the Sahel food and
nutrition crises and the Cote d'Ivoire and Mali political crises.
09/2002 - 8/2005
Head of Development Cooperation: European Union Delegation to India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bhutan
and the Maldives, New Delhi, India.
Field responsibility for the identification, programming and implementation of EU funded aid operations
in India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan and the Maldives. Management of 20 staff supervising a portfolio of
over 1 Billion EUR primarily in the health and education sectors. Active in designing and implementing
post-earthquake (Gujarat) and post-Tsunami recovery operations in Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka. Conflict
analysis and response operations in Nepal, Sri Lanka and Kashmir. Election observer in Kashmir in 2002.
12/1998 - 8/2002
Acting Head of Delegation, European Union Delegation to Liberia, Monrovia, Liberia.
Represented the European Union in Liberia. Political dialogue including Art 96 negotiations with the
government of President Charles Taylor. Head of EU Recovery and Rehabilitation Aid Team (40 staff).
Identification and implementation of post-conflict and peace-building operations including rehabilitation
of the electricity and water systems, resettlement of IDPs and refugees and the disarmament,
demobilisation and reintegration (DDR) of ex-combatants in particular child soldiers. Managed the
transition from humanitarian to development aid instruments. Liaison with EU Member States.
11/1993 - 11/1998
Liberia Country Team Leader: European Commission, DG Development, Brussels.
Co-ordination of EU policy and aid instruments in Liberia. Participated in peace negotiations both directly in
the field and in UN organised meetings with the various "warlords" and militia. Peace building and conflict

2. mitigation and protection of the humanitarian space. Identification and management of humanitarian and
rehabilitation aid operations. Chief Election Observer and Head of EU election support team for the 1998
Liberia elections.
11/1989 - 11/1992
Chief Executive Officer: Cooperation Ireland, Dublin and Belfast.
Special secondment at the request of President Delors's Cabinet to manage the largest non-government body
representing both communities on the island of Ireland promoting cross-border and cross-community peace
and reconciliation. Active participation in peace-building activities with paramilitary forces and between para-
military forces and the British and Irish governments in the context of the successful Northern Ireland Peace
Process. Management of over 200 staff and volunteers implementing a wide range of reconciliation and
prejudice reduction activities to advance the peace process and bring stability to the island of Ireland.
07/1986 - 10/1989
Regional Desk Coastal West Africa: European Commission, DG Development, Brussels.
Identification, programming and management of projects to promote regional integration in West Africa in
particular to bring a more effective approach to natural resource management especially through action to
involve local populations more in the fight against desertification and deforestation. Represented the EU on the
OECD DAC (Development Aid Committee) working group to define guidelines for aid agencies on the transition
from humanitarian to development aid. Helped draft the EU Communication on Linking Relief, Rehabilitation
and Development (LRRD).
01/1985 - 6/1986
Head of the European Commission Emergency Team: EU Delegation to Sudan, Khartoum, Sudan.
Special assignment at the request of the Commission. Managed the joint European Community Emergency Air-
bridge (10 aircraft and 200 expatriate personnel from the air forces of 4 EU Member States, Germany, France,
Belgium and Denmark and 6 civilian aircraft and helicopters supplied by the UK, Italy and the United States)
and an Emergency Landbridge to Darfur with over 800 locally rented trucks. Implementation of a very wide
range of relief and rehabilitation operations to assist over 2 million highly vulnerable people in Darfur.
6/1983 - 12/1984
Research Associate in the Institute of Social Studies in The Hague, the Netherlands.
Sabbatical leave to research and publish on the role of non-state actors as agents for economic and social
change. Lectures and publications on local community development issues. Carried out needs assessments in
Ethiopia on behalf of the Spanish Foreign Ministry and several Non-Government Organisations (NGO) at the
time of the massive Ethiopia famine. Identified humanitarian aid operations in Ethiopia and Sudan for a
number of donors including BandAid following the fund raising concerts.
06/1976 - 05/1983
Project Manager: European Commission, DG Development, NGO co-financing unit, Brussels.
Helped establish the DG Development co-financing programme with NGOs. Drafting of General conditions for
co-financing. Negotiation and selection of contracts and partners. Management of contract files and monitoring
of operations. Secretary to the EC-NGO Liaison Committee.
Education and training: HND in Business Studies, College of Business Studies, Belfast, Northern Ireland
Diploma in Advanced studies in educational theory and practice. Open University – UK. Many courses in
project management, financial and administrative systems, negotiations, public speaking, logistics, personnel
management, security awareness including HEAT training. Computer literate; Microsoft OFFICE, Outlook,
Firefox, IOS and internet etc.
Publications: Many publications including "Small is beautiful", micro-projects in development aid and
numerous articles on crisis management and humanitarian aid.
Positions held: Member of the Board of MSF International for 3 years. Contributor to webcasts/seminars on
civilian-military relations (CIMIC) in conflict zones and International Humanitarian Law including some
organised by the Harvard Law School.
Leisure interests and sports: Music, social media, reading and writing, golf.
Languages: English mother tongue, Fluent French and basic Spanish