Danny O’Neill
City Observatory Lead
Discover the women and men who are advancing the use of data, inspiring their peers, and transforming organizations as we move towards a data-driven future.
Back to listingDanny’s experience and expertise
Danny O’Neill is a strategic data leader and business intelligence specialist with more than 25 years of experience in IT architecture and digital transformation. He designs enterprise-scale ecosystems that influence policy, shift budgets, and upskill entire organizations. All of his work is focused on the belief that data should do more than report the past—it should shape the future.
Through his skills he brings a unique mix of technical depth and storytelling finesse to projects. During his career he has led multi-disciplinary teams through greenfield BI projects, emergency response programs, and digital transformations—all with a bias for action, clarity, and results.
Currently, he serves as the City Observatory Lead for Birmingham City Council, where he led the development of the Birmingham City Observatory. This comprehensive open data platform provides a “single source of truth” for the city’s data and was launched within three months. It delivers actionable, real-time intelligence for decision-makers within the council and across its community.
A word from Danny
“Data only matters when it changes something in the real world. I am obsessed with turning raw information into clear insight that helps people make better decisions, faster and with confidence. That belief shapes my day to day. I focus on clarity over complexity, I champion data that tells a story people can actually use, and I make sure our platforms are built to be trusted, accessible and genuinely helpful. If it does not help a service manager, a policymaker or a resident take action, it is just noise.”
Danny’s inspirations
People who inspire me
My experiences with others and seeing how they interact with data shape my views. They show me how to cut the noise and tell a story. I also feel that if it looks pretty, people tend to take more notice.
Books that inspire me
A must-read for me: “If It’s Purple, Someone’s Gonna Die!” by Patti Bellantoni.
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