David Rader Washington, DC

David Rader was a Senior Advisor in the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) and served across the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), the Office of Strategic Capital (OSC), and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).

At DARPA, David worked on economic security, statecraft, and warfare projects. At OSC, David supported the design and implementation of its investment strategy; he also served as a liaison to private capital partners. At DIU, David led the modernizing of the business intelligence and due diligence practice, managed senior leader engagements, and worked to identify the best dual-use commercially available technologies.

He advised senior leadership at OSD Policy, A&S, R&E, and I&S on various topics regarding business intelligence, economic security, advanced technologies, commercialization strategies, and industrial production and manufacturing efforts. He has also advised senior leaders at the National Security Council, Combatant Commands, Military Departments, and the Intelligence Community on a range of legal, regulatory, intelligence, policy, investment, and congressional issues.

Previously, David was the Deputy Director of Global Investment & Economic Security at the Department of Defense. David oversaw an office of 80 and his portfolio focused on national economic security, foreign direct investment, trade and industrial policy, and all matters under the purview of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS). He also led interdepartmental activities regarding macroeconomic modeling, supply chain risk management, complex due diligence and investigations, incentivizing technology development, industrial policy decision-making, and navigating legal or financial issues with senior government officials, Fortune 500 leaders, middle market business executives, law firm partners, entrepreneurs, finance professionals, and interagency and international partners.

Before serving in government, David held roles as a manager in Transaction Advisory Services at Ernst & Young, a vice president in the Corporate & Investment Bank at J.P. Morgan, an associate in the National Security Research Division at the RAND Corporation, a law clerk at the U.S. Attorney's Office as well as the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, and as an infantryman in the U.S. Army.

David’s work has appeared in Foreign Policy, The Diplomat, National Review, The National Interest, The Hill, Security and Strategy, The Jerusalem Post, Real Clear Defense, Defense News, and Lawfare. David holds a BA in Political Science, an MA in Government, a JD in Corporate Bankruptcy Law, an MS in Finance, an MBA, and an MA in International Relations.