Tesla’s VP of Bizdev Diarmuid O’Connell talks the business of Tesla

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfgP2a2PMNI]

Diarmuid O’Connell is Tesla’s head of Business development. He knows his business (see Tesla Bio below). There isnt’ a lot new in the Swiss video above but the German interview touches on a lot of current issues facing the company and it is clear that O’connell, Tesla employee #51, knows the ins and outs (note the Mercedes steering wheel body check).

Probably most notable for me is that Tesla’s biggest cost reduction in its Gen 3 “Model E” is getting the battery prices down significantly and Tesla has set very achievable goals for doing so.  It makes sense when you consider the current Model S batteries cost as much as $40,000 

DIARMUID O’CONNELL
VICE PRESIDENT, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

Diarmuid joined Tesla in 2006, and currently serves as the Vice President of Business Development in which capacity he manages commercial relationships and all aspects of government affairs. Before joining Tesla, Diarmuid served as Chief of Staff for Political Military Affairs at the US State Department, where he was involved in policy and operational support to the U.S military in various theaters of operation.

Before his tenure in Washington, Diarmuid worked in corporate strategy as a management consultant for Accenture, as a founder of educational software developer, Real Time Learning, and as a senior executive with both McCann Erickson Worldwide and Young and Rubicam. Over the course of his career, he has managed international operations, projects and marketing for such brands as Coca Cola, Gillette, and AT&T, among others.

Diarmuid has earned a bachelor’s degree from Dartmouth College, a master’s degree in Foreign Policy from the University of Virginia, and an MBA from Kellogg. He lives with his wife and two children in the Bay Area and escapes to the mountains whenever possible.