International Trade Administration,
U.S. Department of Commerce

Michelle O'Neill

Acting Under Secretary
for International Trade

Michelle O'Neill has been serving as Acting Under Secretary for International Trade since November 2008.  In this capacity, she is responsible for leading the International Trade Administration (ITA), which participates in the development of U.S. trade policy; identifies and resolves market access and compliance issues; promotes American competitiveness and the strength of U.S. companies in the global economy; administers U.S. trade laws; and undertakes a range of trade promotion and trade advocacy efforts.

O’Neill was named Deputy Under Secretary for International Trade in November 2005. In this capacity, she oversees the daily operations of ITA, which has an annual budget of $400 million and 2,300 employees.

Before rejoining the ITA leadership team in 2005, O'Neill served as Deputy Under Secretary of Commerce for Technology. Beginning in July 2004, O'Neill served as the chief operating officer of the Technology Administration, which includes the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

Over the course of her 20+ year ITA career, O'Neill has served in every major operating unit of the organization. From 2000 to 2004, O'Neill was the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Information Technology Industries in ITA. In addition to serving as the lead advocate for U.S. information and medical technology companies, O'Neill played an instrumental role in U.S. e-commerce policy, including establishing the U.S. government's first Office of Electronic Commerce.

In addition to her headquarters assignments, O'Neill served overseas as a Senior Commercial Officer with ITA's U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service. From 1995 to 1998, O'Neill was the Commercial Attache to the U.S. Mission to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development in Paris. O'Neill returned to Washington in 1998, serving as the chief of staff to the Under Secretary for International Trade until 2000.

Prior to serving overseas, O'Neill worked in the office of Deputy Under Secretary for International Trade Timothy J. Hauser, serving as his executive assistant, from 1992 to 1995. In 1995, O'Neill served as a Brookings Legislative Fellow with the House Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee; from 1990 to 1991, O'Neill was detailed to the White House Office of Policy Development.

From 1987 to 1990, she worked in ITA's Office of Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Investigations. O'Neill began her government career as a Presidential Management Intern in 1987.

O'Neill has been awarded a series of honors for her accomplishments. She received the Department's Silver Medals for her work on the APEC Privacy Framework; for resolving a major China market access barrier; and for developing the U.S. government portal, www.Export.gov. O'Neill also won a Departmental Bronze Medal for improving Chinese market access for U.S. IT firms. In 2001, O'Neill received the William A. Jump Award for exemplary service in public administration.

O'Neill received her B.A. degree from Sweet Briar College in 1985, and her M.A. from the LBJ School of Public Affairs in 1987. O'Neill resides in Washington, D.C., with her husband and their son.