Pat O’Connor is co-founder and CEO of VRAI, where the mission is to redefine exceptional human performance through data driven simulation. Pat's passion for establishing VRAI came from his 20 years of military service, where he saw the need to transform how people are trained, and saw the opportunity to do so by leveraging newly matured technologies.
VRAI are HQ’d in Ireland, opened their UK business in Newcastle in 2020, and their US business in Orlando last year following a series A investment round.
VRAI are amongst the niche leaders in human performance data & AI in aerospace & defence simulation, emerging as one of the local champions of Irish dual use tech space. VRAI’s customers include the likes of UK MoD, BAE Systems & Kongsberg.
Pat served for 20 years in the Irish Defence Forces including as a reconnaissance troop commander, a reconnaissance unit commander, and in a number of roles in comms and strategy on the personal staff of three Irish Chiefs of Defence.
Pat completed over three and a half years of operationally deployed service with United Nations Peacekeeping and Peace Enforcement missions in Liberia, Syria, Lebanon and Israel.
Pat is an active advocate for SMEs within the aerospace, defence and security market, particularly in the area of “dual use” technologies. Pat also holds a number of advisory roles including Chairman of the Irish Defence & Security Association, the European Aerospace Defence & Security SME Council, UK MoD SME Working Group and the North East Regional Defence & Security Cluster Steering Committee (NERDSC).
Pat holds a M.A. in Political and Public Communication from DCU and a MSc in Business, Leadership and Management from UCD Smurfit Business School.