007: Wyman Howard - Build a Little, Test a Little, Learn a Lot - Innovation in the SEAL Teams

On this episode of the Defense Tech Underground, RADM (ret.) Wyman Howard - the former commander of the elite Navy Special Warfare Group and later the entire SEAL community - shares leadership lessons learned from his 32 years as a naval officer. He dives into the changing nature of warfare, crafting the SEAL brand with lessons from Louis Vuitton, and the importance of technical innovation in near-peer competition. 

Wyman Howard is a retired U.S. Navy Rear Admiral with a distinguished 32-year career in special operations, having commanded critical units including Naval Special Warfare Command and being among the first to deploy to Afghanistan after 9/11. A fourth-generation Naval Officer and graduate of the United States Naval Academy, Howard has extensive experience in leadership roles across joint, intelligence, and interagency operations, earning multiple prestigious unit citations and personal awards. In the private sector, he serves as a senior advisor, public board director, and consultant, with expertise in sustainability, disruptive technologies, and strategic risk assessment. He holds advanced degrees, including an MBA from the TRIUM consortium and a Master of Science in National Security and Resource Strategy, and has completed professional certificates in artificial intelligence from MIT. 

Howard currently serves as a Senior Advisor with McKinsey & Company, sits on the boards of Bridger Aerospace and Invitation Homes, and provides strategic guidance across advanced industries, energy, bioscience, and communications. He is a Council on Foreign Relations member, a Navy Distinguished Service medal and Silver Star medal recipient, and brings deep expertise in geopolitical risks, multi-domain autonomous systems, electronic warfare, and cyber threat mitigation.

This episode is hosted by Jeff Phaneuf and Patrick Nanson.