Born in 1957 in the Scottish capital city Edinburgh, Steve O'Donnell started life in a small tenement house in the Leith district of Edinburgh. His father James Michael O'Donnell worked in St. Cuthbert's Co-operative Society as a joiner / shopfitter. At age 5 years he moved to the small villiage of Uphall in West Lothian. The early part of his schooling was at St Nicholas School in Broxburn, West Lothian where he began his interest in things electrical and electronic. Latterly he attended St Mary's Academy in Bathgate West Lothian gaining SCE Highers in Math, English, Physics and Chemistry.
O'Donnell moved to London in 1981 to work in Wandsworth for Newtons Laboratories initially as a Computer Engineer and latterly as Sales Director.
O'Donnell is currently Global Head of Data Centre Operations at BT plc.