Patrick O'Brien
President

Pat founded O’Brien International, Inc. in 1991, a firm that manages trade associations in the industrial diamond tooling industry. He also serves as the executive director of the Concrete Sawing & Drilling Association where his responsibilities include financial administration, meeting planning, training development and lobbying on behalf of members.

Prior to starting his career in the industrial diamond business, Pat also worked as a project manager at the Naval Air Test Center in Patuxent River, Maryland, where he directed the test and evaluation of Navy jet aircraft. He graduated from The Ohio State University with a BS in Engineering and received his MS in Management from the University of Southern California.

During the winter ski season, Pat can be found skiing black diamonds in Utah. He is also a licensed commercial and instrument pilot and enjoys traveling, food and wine. A native of New Hampshire and fan of all New England sports teams, Pat currently resides in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Erin O'Brien
Director of National Accounts

Erin’s career path has taken her from the world of sports medicine to meeting and event planning. She received her BS in Athletic Training and Exercise Physiology from Ohio University, and her MS from the University of Florida in Applied Physiology and Kinesiology. She has worked with multiple sports teams and athletes, including current and former members of the Florida Gators, Purdue Boilermakers, Cleveland Browns,LSU Tigers, Miami Hurricanes, New York Jets,Philadelphia Eagles, Oakland Raiders, Baltimore Ravens, Tampa Bay Rays, Texas Rangers and San Diego Padres.

Prior to joining the team at Aqua Blue Meetings, Erin served as the Marketing/PR Director at an outpatient physical therapy clinic. She now enjoys the challenges that meeting planning offers and the opportunity to travel and interact with a variety of clients.

Erin enjoys any outdoor activity, especially running, hiking, stand-up paddleboarding, snow skiing, kayaking, skydiving and recreational sports. She is an avid sports fan and enjoys watching football, hockey and baseball. She is a Level 1 certified CrossFit instructor and an active member of CrossFit9 in St. Petersburg. Born and raised in Dubin, Ohio, Erin currently resides in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Russell Hitchen
Operations Manager

Before joining the staff at Aqua Blue Meetings, Russell served as a project planner and technical writer for Chubb Integrated Technologies, as well as a software test engineer and test script writer for Amey Datel, Ltd. in the U.K. Russell now serves as the associate editor for Concrete Openings magazine, published by O'Brien International. He attended Edge Hill University, where he received his Bachelor of Arts degree, with honors, in English Language and Literature and Art and Design. Russell says the best part of his job is "the opportunity to liaise with people all across North America and beyond."

Russell enjoys playing and watching sports, especially soccer and rugby, training at the gym, attending music events and socializing with friends. Originally from Wigan, U.K., Russell now resides in St. Petersburg, Florida, with his wife and two children.