Robert McFadden is a Senior Vice-President of The Soufan Group. He is a 30-year veteran of the U.S. Federal Law Enforcement, Intelligence, and Counterintelligence communities, and has held several high profile leadership positions, including Special Agent in Charge, Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) Global Support Field Office, and Deputy Assistant Director, Counterintelligence Operations.

With years of frontline experience, Mr. McFadden is recognized as an international subject matter expert on interview, interrogation, and violent extremist groups.  He is also a court-certified expert on al Qaeda and other terrorist movements in the Near and Middle East.

As the Special Agent in Charge, NCIS Global Support Field Office, Mr. McFadden was responsible for providing highly specialized counterintelligence, counterespionage, and force protection support to U.S. Combatant Commands and NCIS field offices worldwide.

In the position of NCIS Deputy Assistant Director, Counterintelligence Operations, he oversaw all strategic and operational-level proactive and reactive counterintelligence activities for the Department of the Navy.  As the effective Chief Operating Officer for the DoD Field Activities Directorate, he led and managed more than 100 highly trained Counterintelligence and intelligence professionals in worldwide missions.

As the NCIS Senior Representative to the Office of the Deputy Under Secretary of the Navy, Mr. McFadden was responsible for policy development and review for sensitive, clandestine, and low visibility missions.  Mr. McFadden was part of a select group of intelligence and law enforcement professionals who devised new policies to more effectively combat terrorism and collect information.

Mr. McFadden has served across the world, including in Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Yemen, other locations in the Middle East and Southwest Asia.  He was the co-case agent for the NCIS-FBI investigation into the October 12, 2000, bombing of the USS Cole and the related al Qaeda maritime cell. 

During the investigation into events of 9/11, Mr. McFadden and a highly specialized team developed information that led to the detection and dismantling of a broader terrorist cell seeking to attack U.S. and allied interests in the Arabian Peninsula. 

Before his assignments to the Middle East, Mr. McFadden had extensive experience with information networks comprised of confidential informants of exceptional relevance and potency for successful counternarcotics and counter terrorism disruptions and prosecutions.  Among the highlights was his handling of a recruited source who successfully penetrated the "Blind Shaykh" cell planning attacks on several New York City landmarks. 

Mr. McFadden has received numerous awards and commendations for his work as an NCIS Special Agent. These include the Navy Civilian Superior Service Award, the Meritorious Civilian Service Award, the Global War on Terrorism Medal, and DoD Counterintelligence Investigator of the Year (2003), and member CI Investigative Team of the Year (2001).

Mr. McFadden was a member of the Experts Committee of the Office of National Intelligence, Intelligence Science Board, "Study on Educing Information and Intelligence Interviewing."  He also was part of the practitioners panel informing the Executive Order Task Force on Detainee Interrogation, Detention, and Rendition policy.

Prior to joining NCIS, Mr. McFadden logged more than 3000 hours of combat reconnaissance missions as a member of the U.S. Air Force, receiving three Expeditionary Campaign Medals and 12 awards of the Air Medal.

Mr. McFadden received a Bachelor's degree in Political Science and Government from the University of Maryland.  He is an honor graduate of the Defense Language Institute, for the study of Modern Standard Arabic.