Terry O’Connor is an accomplished leader and trusted advisor in the world of talent acquisition, recognized for her expertise in helping AI and climate tech startups recruit top-tier leadership talent. As the Founder and CEO of The Brass, Terry has melded a passion for empowering mid- to late-stage professionals with a proven ability to build elite executive teams for dynamic, impact-driven companies.
scaling startups. She brings strategic insight and a holistic approach to talent acquisition—combining experience as a former Director of Global Technical Recruiting at Databricks, ex-Talent Acquisition Manager at Google, and executive recruiter for growth-stage tech businesses.
Strategic Talent Planning: Designing and implementing frameworks that enable organizations to access, attract, and retain world-class leadership talent.
Diversity and Inclusion Advocacy: Championing the advancement of women and underrepresented groups in technology and executive roles, including building communities and leading cohort-based programs for career transitions.
Coaching for Impact: Offering one-on-one and group coaching for executives and founders, equipping them with hiring and negotiation skills that drive organizational excellence and personal career growth.
Terry is especially noted for her leadership in guiding AI and climate tech startups toward scalable, sustainable growth by assembling foundational, mission-driven teams. Her advisory spans:
Recruitment of C-Suite and VP Talent: Assisting early- and growth-stage founders in building operationally strong, visionary executive teams prepared for the demands of fast-paced, technically complex markets.
Market-Focused Diligence: Leveraging her background at Databricks, Google, and Samsung, Terry delivers strategic market insights and employs data-backed search processes tailored to the unique challenges of the AI and climate innovation sectors.
Community Building: As a core member of Xooglers in Climate and lead for Xoogler Women in the Bay Area, Terry fosters knowledge sharing, mentorship, and peer support, serving as a connector within the global tech community.
Beyond traditional search, Terry is deeply invested in the holistic development of leaders. She designs and delivers programs that help established professionals pivot into new domains or scale their impact, such as:
Career Transition Courses: Leading curriculum for platforms like Maven, equipping leaders to master negotiation, embrace new opportunities, and design fulfilling career trajectories.
The Career Design Playbook™: Her proprietary framework helps executives and emerging leaders assess strengths, clarify values, and craft pathways for sustained leadership success.
Terry's mission centers on rewriting the narrative of career value, championing life-long learning, inclusion, and the power of diverse leadership teams to drive innovation in AI and climate solutions. She is also an endurance athlete, dog lover, and passionate community builder, bringing energy and empathy to every engagement.
