David O’Keefe
David has 25 years experience in the corporate world throughout the Asia Pacific Region having worked for the likes of Volvo, Access 24, TeleTech, Sitel, Ozemail and more recently as an equity partner with Tanna Partners in the executive recruitment and consulting space.
During that period David has gained significant commercial and life experience within B2C & B2B environments from grass roots right through to senior management having lead small and large teams within both in-house and outsourced contact centre environments. He has a proven track record successfully leading people and teams in commercial and sporting environments with specific areas of expertise including business development, people management, talent identification & recruitment, client engagement, operations management, quality management, business process re-engineering and third party contract management.
After completing his HSC at Chevalier College in 1985, David went on to secure a diploma in advanced management at Hornsby TAFE and more recently completed his Masters of Commerce in Business at Macquarie University which highlights his dedication, application and ambition to constantly improve himself both personally and professionally. David is also an accredited football coach with Football Federation Australia and in December 2008 started his own football management business, namely Football Focus International Pty Ltd.
From a football perspective, David (or DOK as he’s affectionately known within the football community) began coaching in 1990 when he was asked to look after an U14 team at Normanhurst Eagles Football Club (his nephew's team) and instantly fell in love with educating, mentoring and coaching children to play football.
Such is his passion for the game - 22 years later and DOK is still involved with the same club coaching their senior men’s team with many of its players having known him for 15+ years having been coached by him when they were youngsters. David has coached at grass roots and elite level at clubs such as Normanhurst Eagles FC, Gladesville-Hornsby FC, Northern Spirit FC, Parramatta Eagles FC, Northern Tigers FC and Manly United FC and more recently has enjoyed huge success with the girl’s football program at Barker College.
David is a strong believer in the “pass & move” football philosophy and has had the pleasure of working alongside like minded and highly qualified coaches Raul Blanco and former Socceroos captain, Paul Wade. Since 2002, David has been fortunate enough to travel overseas on educational tours to Europe as part of his ongoing learning & development with various elite squads, club tours and self funded trips visiting such clubs as Liverpool FC, Chelsea FC, Manchester United FC, Charlton FC, Middlesbrough FC, Reading FC, Juventus FC, PSV, Feyenoord and more recently Hamburg FC and Basel FC.
During these visits, David has been able to develop his coaching skills, techniques and methods whilst at the same time develop some very strong relationships with many of the academy and senior coaches at several of the above mentioned clubs.
As a result, he’s been privileged enough to meet and talk to some of Australia’s best overseas exports such as Mark Schwarzer, Harry Kewell, Jason Culina and Mark Viduka as well as international superstars Steven Gerrard, Jamie Carragher, Jamie Redknapp and Michael Owen to name just a few. He’s also had the pleasure to meet with and observe training sessions with some internationally recognised coaches such as Gerard Houllier, Rafa Benetiz, Claudio Ranieri, Dick Advocaat, Torsten Fink and Alan Curbishley.
David loves nothing more than seeing young players he’s coached and mentored go on to bigger and better things in life and in football and gets great satisfaction in maintaining some very close relationships with players well beyond his direct involvement with them as their coach.
He is ably supported by his lovely wife of 20 years Alison and their four (4) remarkable children who without them, none of his footballing dreams would be possible. In setting up Football Focus International (FFI), David is combining a wealth of commercial experience and a passion for his love of football, which he believes positions he and the business well to achieve their corporate goals and future ambitions.