Bernard O'Dea

Bernard O'Dea, MA FCA

Bernard O'Dea was a Queen's Scholar at Westminster School, Graduate of Magdalen College Oxford (PPE Hons) and qualified as a Chartered Accountant with KPMG. He has strong cross disciplinary project management, consultancy and financial management skills as well as extensive international experience.

Following 3 years financial consultancy with BDO (principally advising Govt facing infrastructural enterprises) appointed as Controller of the Heron Group and later as Finance Director of a Swires overseas associate conglomerate. These latter roles involved assessing acquisitions, negotiations of all kinds (including with Govt), structuring new ventures; sectors covered included international property, insurance, shipping, tourism and hotel development.

Following 6 years as an independent board level consultant to Barclays Group in US (including the design of predictive tools and an overhaul of New York Treasury Operations) joined BZW/Barclays Capital as CFO of the newly formed, world-wide Markets Division comprising all non equity trading operations and later appointed Head of Capital & Regulatory Management for the whole investment bank. Designed and project managed the installation of a world wide product profitability and benchmarking system. Fronted transfer pricing negotiations with Barclays retail bank. Managed the investment bank's capital and balance sheet and mounted and ran cross disciplinary teams to address regulatory matters arising with the Bank of England and SFA. Latterly involved as a consultant to 2 major charities, commercial start ups/re-financings, and sundry advisory projects including ones for private investor groups.