O’Connell will be based in Atlanta, Georgia, and work throughout the southeastern United States.
She began her career at Coopers and Lybrand in Atlanta after obtaining her undergraduate degree at the University of South Florida and her Masters of Business Administration at Georgia State University. She served five years at A.S. Hansen in Tampa, Florida, before moving to Price Waterhouse Coopers, where she would rise to partner in charge of the Tampa and Orlando markets. She relocated with Price Waterhouse Coopers to become the leader of the Global Benefits Consulting practice based in Atlanta, Georgia, and served there until 2011 when she retired from the firm.