Vice Admiral (Ret.) Tim Szymanski, Former Deputy Commander of SOCOM, Joins Pallas Advisors

August 15, 2023

Washington, DC — Pallas Advisors is pleased to announce that Vice Admiral (Ret.) Tim Szymanski will be joining the firm as a Principal following his distinguished career stretching over 36 years in the United States Navy. Prior to his retirement, VADM (Ret.) Szymanski served as both the Deputy Commander for United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) and as the Commander of Naval Special Warfare (NSW). He also served on the Joint Staff as the J3 deputy directorate for Special Operations as the Global War on Terror branch chief and as chief staff officer of Pakistan-Afghanistan Coordination Cell. Since his retirement, he has been consulting with emerging technology companies.

VADM (Ret.) Szymanski is known as a powerful advocate for the health of special operations warriors, and was especially focused on protecting their brain health. Before retiring from the military in December 2021, VADM (Ret.) Szymanski established policy that cognitively baselined the entire Special Operations community, in addition to creating initiatives to focus on developing and maintaining positive mental health practices while actively promoting and raising awareness on the importance of brain health.

As a Navy SEAL, VADM (Ret.) Szymanski served operationally in numerous conflict zones and in crises to include Iraq, Afghanistan, Haiti, and others. He advised and assisted many allied and partner nation special operations forces. As Deputy Commander of USSOCOM and as Commander of NSW, he spearheaded force design and development initiatives, led organizational culture reviews and implementation plans, and inspired and developed leaders throughout the force.

Sally Donnelly, a founding partner of Pallas, said, "Tim's experience in special operations and in various high impact roles around the world will help our network better understand what warfighters need."

“We can best support our nation's servicemen and women by being part of a team like Pallas that prioritizes the needs of the warfighter and strives to equip them with cutting-edge technology. I look forward to joining Pallas and continuing to contribute positively to national security,” Szymanski said.