WASHINGTON ― Former U.S. Air Force acquisitions chief Will Roper has joined strategic advisory firm Pallas Advisors, the company announced Tuesday.
A champion of emerging technologies, Roper led efforts to bring commercial technologies into the military through the AFWERX and SpaceWERX initiatives. He also oversaw the development and first flight of a future fighter demonstrator and advocated for the Advanced Battle Management System as an “internet of things” to connect military platforms. Roper left the Air Force in mid-January.
“Dr. Roper is widely viewed as one of the Department’s most innovative leaders in recent years and we are excited to welcome him to Pallas Advisors,” Tony DeMartino, a founding partner of the firm, said in a statement. “He is well-versed in the challenges our clients face, and will add immense value to our mission.”
The group is packed with former national security officials, including Sally Donnelly, who served as a senior adviser to former Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and who founded the firm with DeMartino, another top aide to Mattis. Its advisory board includes former Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair, former U.S. Special Operations Command chief Tony Thomas and former U.S. National Economic Council Director Gary Cohn.
