HE ANNOUNCED HE was leaving his position as RTÉ’s London editor in early September, and now Brian O’Connell has revealed where he is moving on to.
O’Connell, who has reported from the UK for over two decades, will begin working with Concern Worldwide at their London office. He will work with the fundraising, communications, marketing and policy and campaigns teams on a number of special projects, said the organisation.
Brian joined RTÉ in 1981 as a radio and TV reporter and newscaster. He was appointed London Editor in 1995 and during his career, he reported on major events such as the resignation of Margaret Thatcher, the IRA’s bombing campaign in Britain and the first Gulf War.
Welcoming Brian to the organisation, Tom Arnold, CEO of Concern said:
Brian brings a wealth of experience to Concern. His career in Westminster has spanned two decades and offered him contact with some of the most influential political figures in the UK and Ireland, including every British prime minister since Margaret Thatcher and every Irish Taoiseach since Charles Haughey. His vast knowledge and familiarity with key decision makers will be hugely beneficial to Concern as we strive to implement policies and changes which will alleviate the suffering of some of the world’s poorest people.
The Concern Worldwide (UK) London office opened in London in 1992. The organisation said it is currently going through a repositioning to put the focus on, and grow awareness of, its work around hunger mitigation in its overseas programming, and O’Connell’s appointment will be “key in progressing this work”.
O’Connell said:
Working within the political world in London I was always acutely aware of the work of Concern. During my time in RTE I also had the opportunity to travel with Concern to view their work and projects in Malawi. Their passion and dedication to tackling hunger and poverty in the world is unwavering and I am delighted to join Executive Director of Concern Worldwide (UK), Rose Caldwell and the team in London.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
have your say