Robert J. Palladino

Robert Palladino joined the Office of the Secretary of State as Deputy Executive Secretary in September 2022. A career diplomat, Robert has worked on key foreign policy and national security challenges across Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. Robert most recently served as consul general at U.S. Consulate General Erbil, Kurdistan Region of Iraq; chief of staff to the Deputy Secretary of State; Department of State deputy spokesperson; and director of strategic communications and acting National Security Council spokesperson. Robert has also served in a variety of overseas postings in Asia, Europe and the Middle East, as well as a national security fellow to Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. Prior to joining the Department of State, Robert practiced law in East Asia and Europe in the U.S. Army JAG Corps. He is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame, the Washington & Lee University School of Law, and the U.S. Army War College.