Michael O'Looney
Encyclopedia
Michael Patrick O'Looney (born November 3, 1965) is the managing director and head of corporate communications for Barclays Capital
and Barclays Wealth
in the Americas
. Prior to this position, O'Looney ran corporate communications
for Merrill Lynch
. He is also the former deputy police commissioner for the New York City Police Department
and was a television anchor and reporter for CBS News
, WCBS Television, and New York 1 News.
In January 2002, Police Commissioner
Raymond Kelly appointed O'Looney as the NYPD's deputy commissioner for public information. In that role he served as the department's chief spokesman and as a senior advisor
to the police commissioner
. Two weeks into his job, O'Looney was called on to help negotiate the peaceful end to a hostage stand-off at the 19th Police Precinct on Manhattan
's Upper East Side. A gunman had taken a detective hostage inside the interrogation room and was demanding to speak to a reporter. O'Looney posed as a reporter and after four hours of negotiations, the gunman released the detective unharmed. A year later, O'Looney was involved in another high-profile incident when he spotted an armed ex-con wanted for a string of assaults. When the suspect tried to run, O'Looney, who was unarmed, and a uniformed police officer tackled the suspect on a subway platform and placed him under arrest. In 2003, O'Looney was inducted into the NYPD’s Honor Legion.
Prior to the NYPD, O'Looney was an Emmy-nominated television reporter who worked for CBS News, WCBS TV, and New York 1 News. He also worked at CNBC
and the Financial News Network
. O'Looney began his broadcast career in at WIBX News in his native, Utica, New York
. On September 11, 2001, O’Looney was part of the WCBS TV anchor team that broadcast news of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center. In October 2001, he was the first reporter to gain entry to the apartment in Hamburg
, Germany
that terrorist Mohammed Atta used to plot the 9/11 terrorist attacks. In December 2001, O'Looney was the first Western reporter to get an exclusive interview with Yasser Arafat
following the PLO Chairman’s speech renouncing suicide bombings. The interview took place in the courtyard of Arafat’s shelled headquarters in the West Bank city of Ramallah.
After leaving the NYPD in December 2003, O’Looney joined Merrill Lynch where he was a managing director and head of U.S. corporate communications. He joined Barclays Capital in 2009.
O’Looney appeared as a reporter in both the HBO series The Sopranos
, and 1996 movie City Hall
starring Al Pacino
. He can also be seen playing the piano on Carole King
's 1992 music video Now and Forever
.
O’Looney is married to television anchor Annika Pergament.
Barclays Capital
Barclays Capital is a global British investment bank. It is the investment banking division of Barclays plc which has a balance sheet of over £1.2 trillion . Barclays Capital provides financing and risk management services to large companies, institutions and government clients. It is a primary...
and Barclays Wealth
Barclays Wealth
Barclays Wealth is a UK wealth manager providing international and private banking, advisory, fiduciary services, investment management and, through Barclays Stockbrokers, brokerage....
in the Americas
Americas
The Americas, or America , are lands in the Western hemisphere, also known as the New World. In English, the plural form the Americas is often used to refer to the landmasses of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions, while the singular form America is primarily...
. Prior to this position, O'Looney ran corporate communications
Corporate communications
Corporate communication is the message issued by a corporate organization, body, or institute to its publics. "Publics" can be both internal Corporate communication is the message issued by a corporate organization, body, or institute to its publics. "Publics" can be both internal Corporate...
for Merrill Lynch
Merrill Lynch
Merrill Lynch is the wealth management division of Bank of America. With over 15,000 financial advisors and $2.2 trillion in client assets it is the world's largest brokerage. Formerly known as Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc., prior to 2009 the firm was publicly owned and traded on the New York...
. He is also the former deputy police commissioner for the New York City Police Department
New York City Police Department
The New York City Police Department , established in 1845, is currently the largest municipal police force in the United States, with primary responsibilities in law enforcement and investigation within the five boroughs of New York City...
and was a television anchor and reporter for CBS News
CBS News
CBS News is the news division of American television and radio network CBS. The current chairman is Jeff Fager who is also the executive producer of 60 Minutes, while the current president of CBS News is David Rhodes. CBS News' flagship program is the CBS Evening News, hosted by the network's main...
, WCBS Television, and New York 1 News.
In January 2002, Police Commissioner
Police commissioner
Commissioner is a senior rank used in many police forces and may be rendered Police Commissioner or Commissioner of Police. In some organizations, the commissioner is a political appointee, and may or may not actually be a professional police officer. In these circumstances, there is often a...
Raymond Kelly appointed O'Looney as the NYPD's deputy commissioner for public information. In that role he served as the department's chief spokesman and as a senior advisor
Senior Advisor
In some countries, a Senior Advisor is an appointed position by the Head of State to advise on the highest levels of national and government policy. Sometimes a junior position to this is called a National Policy Advisor...
to the police commissioner
New York City Police Commissioner
The New York City Police Commissioner is the head of the New York City Police Department, appointed by the Mayor of New York City. Governor Theodore Roosevelt, in one of his final acts before becoming Vice President of the United States in March 1901, signed legislation replacing the Police Board...
. Two weeks into his job, O'Looney was called on to help negotiate the peaceful end to a hostage stand-off at the 19th Police Precinct on Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
's Upper East Side. A gunman had taken a detective hostage inside the interrogation room and was demanding to speak to a reporter. O'Looney posed as a reporter and after four hours of negotiations, the gunman released the detective unharmed. A year later, O'Looney was involved in another high-profile incident when he spotted an armed ex-con wanted for a string of assaults. When the suspect tried to run, O'Looney, who was unarmed, and a uniformed police officer tackled the suspect on a subway platform and placed him under arrest. In 2003, O'Looney was inducted into the NYPD’s Honor Legion.
Prior to the NYPD, O'Looney was an Emmy-nominated television reporter who worked for CBS News, WCBS TV, and New York 1 News. He also worked at CNBC
CNBC
CNBC is a satellite and cable television business news channel in the U.S., owned and operated by NBCUniversal. The network and its international spinoffs cover business headlines and provide live coverage of financial markets. The combined reach of CNBC and its siblings is 390 million viewers...
and the Financial News Network
Financial News Network
The Financial News Network was a television network that operated throughout the United States during the 1980s.-Founding:Financial News Network was founded in 1981 by two men: Rodney Buchser, who had been general manager of KWHY, Channel 22 in Los Angeles and Glenn Taylor. The concept originated...
. O'Looney began his broadcast career in at WIBX News in his native, Utica, New York
Utica, New York
Utica is a city in and the county seat of Oneida County, New York, United States. The population was 62,235 at the 2010 census, an increase of 2.6% from the 2000 census....
. On September 11, 2001, O’Looney was part of the WCBS TV anchor team that broadcast news of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center. In October 2001, he was the first reporter to gain entry to the apartment in Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
that terrorist Mohammed Atta used to plot the 9/11 terrorist attacks. In December 2001, O'Looney was the first Western reporter to get an exclusive interview with Yasser Arafat
Yasser Arafat
Mohammed Yasser Abdel Rahman Abdel Raouf Arafat al-Qudwa al-Husseini , popularly known as Yasser Arafat or by his kunya Abu Ammar , was a Palestinian leader and a Laureate of the Nobel Prize. He was Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization , President of the Palestinian National Authority...
following the PLO Chairman’s speech renouncing suicide bombings. The interview took place in the courtyard of Arafat’s shelled headquarters in the West Bank city of Ramallah.
After leaving the NYPD in December 2003, O’Looney joined Merrill Lynch where he was a managing director and head of U.S. corporate communications. He joined Barclays Capital in 2009.
O’Looney appeared as a reporter in both the HBO series The Sopranos
The Sopranos
The Sopranos is an American television drama series created by David Chase that revolves around the New Jersey-based Italian-American mobster Tony Soprano and the difficulties he faces as he tries to balance the often conflicting requirements of his home life and the criminal organization he heads...
, and 1996 movie City Hall
City Hall (film)
City Hall is a 1996 film directed by Harold Becker. Al Pacino and John Cusack star as the Mayor of New York and his idealistic deputy mayor....
starring Al Pacino
Al Pacino
Alfredo James "Al" Pacino is an American film and stage actor and director. He is famous for playing mobsters, including Michael Corleone in The Godfather trilogy, Tony Montana in Scarface, Alphonse "Big Boy" Caprice in Dick Tracy and Carlito Brigante in Carlito's Way, though he has also appeared...
. He can also be seen playing the piano on Carole King
Carole King
Carole King is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. King and her former husband Gerry Goffin wrote more than two dozen chart hits for numerous artists during the 1960s, many of which have become standards. As a singer, King had an album, Tapestry, top the U.S...
's 1992 music video Now and Forever
Now and Forever
- Film and television :* Now and Forever , a drama starring Gary Cooper, Carole Lombard and Shirley Temple* Now and Forever , a 1956 film starring Jack Warner...
.
O’Looney is married to television anchor Annika Pergament.