OCMI Leadership

At O’Connor Construction Management, Inc., everyone has the potential to be a leader. We believe that leadership is a shared responsibility, in which every team member has an equal voice in the direction of the company.

At OCMI, the door is always open.

A History of Service


O’Connor was founded in 1982 by Colm O’Connor as a cost consultancy for owners and design professionals. We have offices throughout the United States and are proud to be a robust and diverse organization of more than 100 construction management professionals. Over the past four-plus decades, we have broadened our scope of services to excel at every aspect of program, project and construction management.

Ciaran O'Connor

CHAIRMAN/CEO

Ciaran has more than 15 years of leadership experience in the construction and military industries. He is the CEO of OCMI and guides the firm in visionary and strategic expansion while leading our team of executive leaders and driving company initiatives. He received his B.S. in Organizational Psychology from St. Mary’s College of California. Ciaran served as Intelligence Officer and Economic Team Chief in the 426 Civil Affairs Battalion, Mosul, Iraq, as well as several roles for the Boeing Company – including Field Service Representative (FSR) and Mission Commander.

Justin Peterson

CFO

Upon graduation from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in 1993, Justin joined the OCMI team as an intern. Moving quickly through the ranks, he opened the Las Vegas office in 1997. Spending the last 25+ years nurturing his career and the firm’s steady growth, he has mentored many of OCMI’s team to the leadership roles they hold today. He has served in many roles and was the president of OCMI for 11 years. As the CFO of OCMI, he is responsible for managing firmwide finances and is an integral part of the company’s management. Justin is a Lifetime Certified Professional Estimator (ASPE), Planning & Scheduling Professional (AACEI), LEED Accredited Professional (USGBC) and a Licensed General Contractor (State of NV).

Neil Murphy

PRESIDENT

Born and raised in Chicago, Neil has called San Diego home for over 20 years. He has crafted his construction and company operations skills working with contractors and OCMI for the last 20+ years. Neil serves as president of OCMI, providing executive-level management to our offices across the country. He received his B.S. in Civil Engineering from the Illinois Institute of Technology and currently serves as OCMI’s practice leader in Construction Management. Neil is a Certified Construction Manager (CMAA), Planning & Scheduling Professional (AACEI), and is a Licensed General Contractor (State of CA).

John Mauk

SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT

John Mauk has worked for OCMI since 1999 and is a Senior Vice President. As another alumnus of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo with a degree in construction management, he shepherds our team of estimators with mentorship and quality management. He is responsible for developing standard practices in cost with our team of estimating leaders across the country and is also the firm’s construction audit division leader. John is a Lifetime Certified Professional Estimator (ASPE), Certified Cost Professional (AACEI), Construction Cost Professional (NACA) and LEED Accredited Professional (USGBC).

Claire O'Connor

SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT

Claire O’Connor began her career as a Marketing Coordinator for OCMI in 2005 and is now Senior Vice President, leading offices in Oakland and Sacramento. During her tenure with the firm, she has worked with the other OCMI leaders to develop processes and guidelines through strategic planning and implementation. She was the architect for many corporate standards and practices in HR, administrative functions of the firm, and marketing that are being used today. Claire graduated from UC San Diego with a degree in Political Science and is a certified Project Management Professional (PMI). She is active in many industry organizations, including the Society of Marketing Professional Services (SMPS) and Construction Management Association of America (CMAA), where she served as a Board member for both organizations.

Tom Strandberg

SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT

After starting with OCMI in 2007 and honing his skills in both San Diego and Las Vegas, Tom relocated to manage OCMI’s DC Metro office located in Rockville, MD. Over the last 10+ years, his office has grown to offer a full suite of services to owners, architects and engineers and general contractors. He is a federal sector leader within the company and leads strategic and implementation efforts in all disciplines across the country. He has a B.S. degree in International Business / Political Science from San Diego State University and is working on his master’s degree in international construction management. Tom is a Certified Cost Professional (AACEI), Planning & Scheduling Professional (AACEI), Project Management Professional (PMP) and LEED Accredited Professional BD+C (USGBC).

Michael Mejia

VICE PRESIDENT

Since joining the firm in 2008, Michael Mejia has demonstrated exceptional leadership skills in cost estimating, preconstruction services, and construction management. He holds a B.S. in Construction Engineering from San Diego State University. As an Estimating Practice Leader, Mike oversees the daily operations of the estimating staff and keeps on top of industry and market trends while managing preconstruction and cost management efforts in the San Diego regional office.

Michael Velose

VICE PRESIDENT

Michael joined the OCMI team in 2012 and has led the growth of one of our newest regional offices located in Charlotte, NC. With more than 25 years of field experience with mechanical systems, his knowledge is critical to the advancement of OCMI’s standard practices related to cost control. He works with owners and AE clients to perform life cycle cost analysis and value engineering for many of OCMI’s most complex and high-profile projects. Michael Velose is a Certified Professional Estimator (CPE) and Certified Cost Professional (CCP) with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering Technology and M.S. in Management of Technology.

Conor Clarke

VICE PRESIDENT

As an integral part of OCMI’s corporate initiatives, Conor applies his experience in team management and leadership, economic analysis and customized cost estimating solutions to lead several key initiatives in market analysis and forecasting. He is the resident economist for OCMI, responsible for all aspects of generating market analysis and reports for internal and client purposes. Conor received a B.A. in Ethics & Political Philosophy from Brown University and is affiliated with the Society of American Military Engineers (SAME) and the Association for Advancement of Cost Engineering International (AACEI).

Raquel Carrillo

VICE PRESIDENT

Raquel leads regional construction management efforts in Southern California including our San Diego and Irvine offices. Her strengths lie in detailed coordination of staffing and project implementation, leading a staff of project managers in multiple locations, and working on concurrent projects. Raquel is the leader of OCMI’s Job Order Contracting (JOC) division, specializing in third-party review and project management. Raquel holds a B.S. in Construction Management from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. She is an advocate and supporter of Women in Construction (WIC) and works with the team to lead internship opportunities for emerging professionals in the construction industry.

Kyle Veater

VICE PRESIDENT

As the regional leader of OCMI’s Dallas office, Kyle has led an enterprising campaign to spearhead growth in the Texas market. He manages local staff in the areas of cost, schedule, and construction management while overseeing technical deliverables by coordinating with owners, clients, and internal resources. Kyle also leads the firm’s economic forecasting and analysis practice, which includes quantitative and qualitative research; in-depth industry interviews with owners, contractors, and architects; detailed technical analysis and data dashboard development. He holds a B.S. in Business Management from George Mason University and previously served as the President of SMPS Dallas and the CMAA North Texas Young Leaders Committee Chair.

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