• Senior Management Team
  • Our Global Team

Mark O’Connell

Executive Chairman

Areas of Expertise

Mark is Executive Chairman and founder of OCO Global. A trusted advisor to governments across the world, Mark brings expertise and innovative thinking to the areas of Economic Development and Global Trade and Investment. He has broad experience in developing cutting edge strategy, and designing and implanting large scale programmes on behalf of clients.

What is your biggest ambition for OCO’s future?

I am immensely proud of how OCO has established a global reputation in the trade and investment advisory space over the last 20 years. We will continue to innovate and embrace new digital ways of working, expand our offer to support clients at all stages of their internationalisation journey, and become recognised as the agile, effective and go-to facilitator of international trade. Our clients return because we deliver impact and outcomes. We aim to keep doing that


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Dr. Joachim Arnold

CEO

Areas of Expertise

Joachim is OCO’s CEO. He works with clients across the globe to position themselves in international markets, develop strategic partnerships and attract investment. Joachim blends extensive knowledge of the global foreign direct investment (FDI) landscape, with expertise in business intelligence, proposition development, and program management to deliver successful long term outcomes for our clients.

 

What are the biggest challenges your clients will face in the next 5 years?

The biggest challenge for corporates and governments alike is to remain agile in a face-paced competitive environment driven by new technologies and a changing geopolitical landscape. Corporates need to innovate and re-invent their business models as well as diversify into new industries and markets. Governments on the other hand, are challenged to apply innovative policies and develop their location propositions to meet the future investor requirements while building out new trusted trade and investment corridors


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Naomi Byrne

Director, Managed Services

Areas of Expertise

Naomi leads OCO’s Managed Services business, which provides a broad range of outsourced solutions for clients including market and business intelligence, trade and investment research, and marketing services.

Naomi has significant client experience from across the globe, and has been a key contributor to the ongoing development of OCO’s broader service offer and our thought leadership agenda


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Vincent Raufast

Market Director - Southern Europe

Areas of Expertise

Vincent is the market director for Southern Europe. He has over 20 years of experience in foreign direct investment and economic development. Prior to joining OCO, Vincent worked for EY Consulting, where he was Associate Partner and leader of the International Location Advisory Services (ILAS) team, assisting governments with FDI promotion strategies and supporting corporate clients with site selection and international expansion strategies. Vincent was also the founder of the innovative service offering “EY Lead Analytics”, a solution designed to help IPAs, Real Estate developers and M&A clients accelerate, increase and improve their pipeline of leads.


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Nick Watson

Director, UK

Areas of Expertise

Nick is a manager in OCO’s UK Consulting Services business, where he works with private and public sector organisations to devise and implement strategy. With a background in economics, and experience working within capital markets, Nick has been central to broadening OCO’s advisory services to include market entry and M&A support to ambitious international firms.


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Jens Manke

Director

Areas of Expertise

Jens Manke is Director Germany with OCO Global based in the Frankfurt Region, Germany. In this role he is responsible for the operational management and support of ongoing projects for the German-speaking market. Jens has more than 10 years of experience in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and international trade relations. He advises and accompanies economic development organisations with their strategic positioning for FDI and related trade and investment advisory programs.


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Mario Monsreal Vargas

Head of Investment Attraction

Areas of Expertise

Mario is Head of OCO’s Investment Attraction business in Germany, where he works with international clients to identify and realise investment opportunities from Europe’s largest market. A Mexican native, Mario also leads on OCO’s engagement with multiple clients across the LatAm region, and our thought leadership and market insights on the region.


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Ian Hunter

Director

Areas of Expertise

Ian is OCO’s US Market Director, based in New York, having recently re-located from Palo Alto. An experienced economic developer with experience working coast-to coast American market, Ian leverages his market know-how, sectoral experience and a board network of contacts to support our clients’ goals in North America and beyond.  Ian leads OCO’s thought leadership on the global Technology sector, as well as our strategic relationships with VCs across the globe.


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Mohammad Raza

Managing Director - Middle East

Areas of Expertise

Mohammad is the regional market leader for the Middle East. With over 20 years of experience, he possesses a strong track record of vision-setting and transformation execution in the Middle East, where he has advised numerous high-profile public and private sector clients on their transformation from strategy to execution and realization. The impact of his work can be seen today where the outcomes of his projects have delivered exceptional client service and project success.

Prior to joining OCO, Mohammad held executive leadership roles as a partner on EY’s Middle East and EMEIA executive boards. He was instrumental in driving their growth over the last decade. He also established new economic development solutions for the firm aimed at helping governments attract FDI as well as helping private sector companies secure bespoke incentives for conducting business in the Middle East.

In what areas do our Middle Eastern clients require OCO’s help?

The Middle East region, especially the GCC, has already embarked on its transformation and economic diversification strategies. Therefore, our public sector clients need a consulting partner to help them implement strategic initiatives and deliver tangible impact on the ground. Our government clients’ strategies have been set, and now the path of transformation and implementation is very much at the forefront of all of our client’s needs.

Additionally, our private sector clients are increasingly seeking regional and global growth opportunities through investment, trade, and export development advice to realize their growth potential to capitalize on the unique strategic positioning of the Middle East when it comes to connecting the Eastern and Western economies of the World.


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Laurent Sansoucy

Director

Areas of Expertise

Laurent is Director at OCO Global. A recognised global expert within Investment Attraction, Laurent works with clients on international strategy, sales & marketing, and location assessment.

Laurent has been central to developing OCO’s data and product offer across Trade and Investment, and regularly contributes to OCO and external thought leadership on the global economy.


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Yi Zhang

Director, China

Areas of Expertise

Yi Zhang leads OCO’s China business and brings more than 10 years of professional experience in the area of investment and export promotion with a focus on promoting locations in China and Europe as well as assisting foreign companies to enter the Chinese market.

Yi brings relevant experience within China, previously as Head of Investment Promotion Bureau at the Zhenjiang New Area, responsible for international investment promotion. He was also the deputy director of the Sino-Swiss Industrial Park and responsible for the operation of the Swiss and German representative offices.


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Ziyi ZHAO

Head of Trade

Areas of Expertise

Ziyi leads OCO’s Trade Services business in China, assisting international clients with business development and market expansion. Ziyi has supported multiple international IPAs across Europe and North America with market insight and entry strategies, and worked directly with dozens of companies in the Chinese market.

Ziyi brings significant practical know-how to doing business in China having worked at a Leadership Consulting boutique as an account manager, supporting companies in China with organizational structure transition, talent management and upskilling, training as well as e-learning solutions.


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