How to Successfully Transition from Military to Civilian Life | Brian O’Connor | TEDxOakland

Through his talk, Brian candidly shares tips and tricks on how to successfully transition from military to civilian life. Mr. O’Connor began his career in the United States Marine Corps where he earned Marine of the quarter and meritorious promotion honors while serving as an Avionics Program Manager and Martial Instructor during two overseas campaigns – Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom.
Brian co-founded Veteran Enhanced Technology Solutions, a Sacramento-based, technology consulting firm focused on leading operational excellence while serving as a bridge and foundation for successfully transitioning veterans into technical roles. Brian O’Connor began his career in the United States Marine Corps where he earned Marine of the quarter and meritorious promotion honors while serving as an Avionics Program Manager and Martial Instructor during two overseas campaigns – Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom. As a Marine Corps College Fund recipient, Brian earned his undergraduate degree in Journalism from LSU and later his MBA from the University of Notre Dame before being selected to IBM’s prestigious Summit Leadership Program, where he began his IT career. After earning top sales honors including multiple Sales Eminence Awards – presented to IBM’s top performers - he worked at salesforce.com before joining the Chicago Cubs during their historic Wrigley Field transformation. Returning to his IT roots and hometown, Brian and his family returned to Sacramento joining EMC during the historic Dell EMC technology acquisition. He was tasked with managing and leading IT transformation within CA agencies as a senior account leader. While at Dell EMC, Brian quickly established himself as a top performer earning High Potential Leadership honors (HIPO) and top sales performance leading key government IT transactions to completion. Seeing an opportunity to have broader impact on the Northern California business community, Brian co-founded Veteran Enhanced Technology Solutions, a Sacramento-based, technology consulting firm focused on leading operational excellence while serving as a bridge and foundation for successfully transitioning veterans into technical roles. He currently serves as a Principal/Partner for the firm and is tasked with formulating and leading the execution of the five-year growth roadmap. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx