Craig O'Connor
- Courses14
- Reviews40
- School: Georgetown University
- Campus:
- Department: Marketing
- Email address: Join to see
- Phone: Join to see
-
Location:
3700 O St NW
Washington, DC - 20057 - Dates at Georgetown University: May 2005 - January 2016
- Office Hours: Join to see
Biography
Georgetown University - Marketing
Director - Emerging Markets Infrastructure, Environmental & Sustainable Technology Trade and Project Finance
Financial Services
Craig
O'Connor
Washington D.C. Metro Area
International finance professional with over 30 years of diverse experience. Created the Renewable Energy Business Development Program at the U.S. Export-Import Bank that, since 2008, has generated over $2 billion in financing for renewable energy projects. I began my career at the Bank in January 1993, as the Loan Officer for the Middle East and North Africa. I was appointed as the Bank’s Environmental Liaison Officer in 1994, and also served as the Director for International Business Development from 1998-2008, where I covered the Asia Pacific and Latin America Regions. During my career at the Bank I have specialized in working with leading renewable energy companies to create "bankable" project finance structures to support projects in a variety of international markets. I have traveled to over 60 countries establishing relationships, negotiating transactions, and leading business development missions.
Specialties: International business development; international trade and project finance; international client relations and account management;development and implementation of energy project finance and investment facilities; design, operation, and evaluation of renewable energy financing mechanisms, including rural electrification; the design and development of energy investment and risk mitigation strategies; and, in the development and delivery of training courses related to international business, capital markets, energy and environmental finance, sustainable technology finance, trade finance, and banking.
Experience
Export-Import Bank of the United States
Director - Emerging Markets Infrastructure, and Environmental Project Finance
I have served as a full-time professional for the Export-Import Bank of the United States in Washington, D.C. since January 1993. Currently I am the Director of Environmental and Infrastructure Finance in the Bank's Project and Structured Finance Division, where I work with global Fortune 1000 companies in the financing of environmentally-beneficial projects such as solar, wind, storage, and water treatment. In this role I direct and manage business development, advise U.S. environmental and sustainable technology exporters, as well as international customers and project sponsors, on the Ex-Im Bank’s approach to trade, project, and structured finance. Over the past few years I have represented the Bank on trade missions to China, India, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, UAE, South Africa, Turkey, Mexico, Chile, and Vietnam, among other countries. I led the Bank’s efforts to promote renewable energy financing in India that resulted in Ex-Im Bank becoming the first international financial institution to finance a project under the Indian Government’s National Solar Mission ("NSM"). I worked extensively with Indian solar project sponsors, including Azure Power, Kiran Energy, Mahindra, and Reliance Power that resulted in Ex-Im Bank financing the first 9 projects under Phase 1 of the NSM totaling $400 million.
From 2001-2007 I served as the Director of Business Development - Latin America, Europe, and Turkey, where I led the Bank's efforts to grow its business in the regions. From 1995 to 2001, I directed business development on a global basis for the Bank’s Environmental Exports Program, including creating a $30 million Environmental Credit Facility with the Polish Bank for Environmental Protection. From 1993 to 1995 I was the Loan Officer for the Middle East and North Africa in the Bank's Export Credit Insurance Division.
Georgetown University
Adjunct Professor - International Business, and International Project Finance
I have served as an Adjunct Professor of International Business at Georgetown University since the spring semester of 1997. Georgetown is consistently rated as one of the top 10 schools in the U.S. for International Business. Included in my International Business class are separate modules on the Big Emerging Markets, Trade Finance, Export Credit Agencies, Project Finance, and Foreign Exchange Risk Mitigation Mechanisms. I also teach International Project Finance in the MBA Program. Received the 2016 Peter W. Gonzalez, Jr, Award for Excellence in Adjunct Faculty Teaching, and I am a past recipient of the Dean’s Award for Excellence in Adjunct Faculty Teaching.
Centria University of Applied Sciences
Visiting Professor
Serve as a visiting Adjunct Professor. I created the course content, and teach the Global Business within the International MBA Program (see syllabus below).
American University
Adjunct Professor - International Banking
Served as an Adjunct Professor of International Banking at American University from 1999-2003 where I developed and structured the MBA-level International Banking course for the Kogod School of Business. This course included a module on Trade Finance, in addition to modules on Export Credit Agencies, Project Finance, and Foreign Exchange Risk Mitigation Mechanisms. For this course I developed a, “Handbook of Trade and Project Finance.”
Chubb Insurance
Sr. Business Insurance Underwriter
Worked with international Fortune 500 companies, associations, and government entities to assess risk, and to recommend business insurance coverages that included executive protection and kidnap and ransom
Education
American University - Kogod School of Business
MBA
International Business
University of Missouri-Kansas City
B.A. - Finance
Henry Bloch School of Business
American University
Adjunct Professor - International Banking
Served as an Adjunct Professor of International Banking at American University from 1999-2003 where I developed and structured the MBA-level International Banking course for the Kogod School of Business. This course included a module on Trade Finance, in addition to modules on Export Credit Agencies, Project Finance, and Foreign Exchange Risk Mitigation Mechanisms. For this course I developed a, “Handbook of Trade and Project Finance.”
Publications
Export-Import Bank Has Major Role in Financing Renewable Energy
SEPTEMBER 2013 Natural Gas & electricity DOI 10.1002/gas / © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
This article highlights the global market for renewable energy, and the resources of Ex-Im Bank in financing a number of ground-breaking renewable energy projects.
