Richard O'Donnell

Richard O'Donnell has a diverse work experience spanning several years. Richard began their career as an Auditor at KPMG and then moved on to Ernst & Young in the same role. Richard then worked as a Financial Controller at ERECO Ltd and ERECO RT, where they focused on developing control and reporting systems. O'Donnell then held the position of Financial Controller at Swedish Match, where they assisted with implementing management decisions and developed budgetary and financial control strategies. Richard later served as the Head of Finance (Interim) at Cardinal Newman College. After that, O'Donnell worked as a Contractor, providing accounting and IT services at Meica Services. Their role involved system implementation and data migration. O'Donnell then joined Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water, initially serving as a Project Manager in the SAP Project Office and later as a Project Assurance Manager, where they managed operationally strategic projects. Richard then became an SAP Test Manager and IT Analyst, introducing a release-based approach to change management and managing all aspects of releases. Their next role was as a Test Architect, where they formulated and introduced test policies and strategies and developed test processes. Currently, O'Donnell is serving as a SAP Test Lead at Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water, where they are responsible for practical test management of SAP projects and recruitment of the test team. Throughout their career, O'Donnell has demonstrated expertise in project management, test management, and financial control.

Richard O'Donnell began their education at Our Lady's High from 1983 to 1986. Richard then attended Heriot-Watt University from 1986 to 1989, where they obtained a BA in Accountancy & Computer Science. Afterward, they pursued further education through a CA training contract with KPMG at ICAS - The Professional Body of CAs from 1989 to 1992, becoming a Chartered Accountant in 1993. Additionally, they have obtained several certifications, including Certified Tester Advanced Level, Test Manager from ISTQB in 2017 and various automation specialist certifications from Tricentis, with the most recent being Automation Specialist for SAP in 2022.