Niamh O’Connor is NDI’s resident director in Bosnia-Hercegovina. Since joining the Institute in 2000, Ms. O’Connor has held similar positions in Montenegro and Romania where she managed large-scale political party and parliamentary programs. Ms. O’Connor possesses two decades of professional and political experience, including 15 years in her native Ireland. She has held a number of high-level political positions ranging from press secretary to campaign manager for the Irish prime minister, various ministers and Members of Parliament, and for the Fianna Fail party. She has provided strategic advice to Fianna Fail on issues of campaign planning, internal and external communication, caucus development and fundraising. Also in Ireland, Ms. O’Connor managed a presidential campaign and several referenda initiatives. During her work with Fianna Fail, the party was in government and opposition; while in government, Fianna Fail served both as a single-party minority government as well as shared government with other coalition parties. With projects variously affiliated with the European Union, OSCE, and the United Nations, Ms. O’Connor has observed or supervised elections South Africa in 1994, Bosnia 1996 and 1998, and Suriname in 2000.
