Spartan Profiles: Brian O'Connor

The legendary Cunard Line dates back to 1840 and for many years ruled travel across the North Atlantic. Its RMS Lusitania, torpedoed in 1915, helped prompt U.S. entry into World War I. Winston Churchill praised Cunard and its ferrying of troops with shortening World War II by one year.

Today, with ships like the Queen Mary 2 and Queen Victoria, the company is reasserting its iconic image under the direction of Brian O’Connor, ’91, director of marketing and public relations. On October 11, O’Connor stage managed the naming of Cunard’s new Queen Elizabeth—with Her Majesty the Queen attending the ceremony in Southampton, England. On Jan. 13, he stage managed all three Cunard ships sailing into the harbor of New York City. “That’s one of the top three public relations events I’ve coordinated,” says O’Connor, who also ran two Golden Globe award ceremonies while he was PR chief at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.

“It’s been a thrill to be involved with Cunard,” says Brian, who notes that the brand name has undergone a renaissance under the ownership of Carnival Cruise Lines (since 1998). “We now operate the youngest fleet at sea. What I’m most proud of is that we’ve maintained the ocean liner experience. The interiors of our ships are all reminiscent of the floating palaces of the past, and we are bringing to life that experience again.”

A veteran of managing publicity for red-carpet events, galas and fundraisers, Brian also helped Hilton hotels redesign its worldwide brand image in 1996. An MSU Alumni Association member and a native of St. Johns, Brian was the drum major of the Spartan Marching Band when MSU last appeared in the Rose Bowl. This year, he finally returned to the Rose Bowl riding a Cunard float in the parade. “MSU totally should have been there (instead of Wisconsin),” he says. “I was looking forward to visiting with (SMB director) John Madden. I guess we’ll have to wait till next year.”