Diarmuid O'Connell joined Tesla Motors in 2006, and currently serves as the Vice President of Business Development in which capacity he manages commercial relationships and all aspects of government affairs. Before joining Tesla, Diarmuid served as Chief of Staff for Political Military Affairs at the US State Department, where he was involved in policy and operational support to the U.S military in various theaters of operation.

Before his tenure in Washington, Diarmuid worked in corporate strategy as a management consultant for Accenture, as a founder of educational software developer, Real Time Learning, and as a senior executive with both McCann Erickson Worldwide and Young and Rubicam. Over the course of his career, he has managed international operations, projects and marketing for such brands as Coca Cola, Gillette, and AT&T;, among others.

Diarmuid has earned a bachelors degree from Dartmouth College, a Masters in Foreign Policy from the University of Virginia, and an M.B.A. from Kellogg. He lives with his wife and two children in the Bay Area and escapes to the mountains whenever possible.