Barbara O’Connell

Barbara is best known for her vision to create specialist neuro-rehabilitation services in communities throughout Ireland for people living with brain injury. Prior to co-founding Acquired Brain Injury Ireland in 2000, Barbara worked as an Occupational Therapy Manager with the National Rehabilitation Hospital (NRH) where she pioneered a social reintegration programme for brain injury survivors to bridge the gap between post-acute services and returning home. This experience inspired the set up her own national service to support people on the brain injury pathway which has since grown from one neuro-rehab unit to 16 services nationwide employing 300 staff. Barbara holds an MBA in Healthcare and Business from the Smurfit Business School, UCD; Non-Profit Strategic Management from Harvard Business School; Strategic Decision Making from Harvard Kennedy School. She was also recognised as Social Entrepreneur of the Year by Women Mean Business and National Winner of the Ulster Bank Business Achievers Award for Social Enterprise.