David Szady is a retired American law enforcement official who had a distinguished career in the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) spanning over three decades. He joined the FBI in 1970 as a special agent and quickly specialized in counterintelligence operations, focusing on threats from the Soviet Union and Eastern Bloc countries during the Cold War. Szady served in various field offices, including New York and Washington, D.C., and rose through the ranks to become a section chief overseeing counterintelligence against Soviet and Eastern European targets in the 1980s. His expertise in espionage investigations made him a key figure in addressing foreign intelligence threats, including high-profile cases involving double agents and moles within U.S. institutions.

From 1998 to 2001, Szady was appointed Assistant Director in Charge (ADIC) of the Counterintelligence Branch at the FBI's Washington Field Office, where he managed operations related to foreign counterintelligence. In 2001, he advanced to Assistant Director of the FBI's Counterintelligence Division, a position he held until his retirement. Sources conflict on his retirement year (2003 vs. 2006), but both agree he served in this role during the administration of Attorney General John Ashcroft and contributed significantly to post-9/11 national security strategies, including restructuring the division to better combat evolving threats from nations like Russia, China, and others. He oversaw critical investigations into espionage and foreign influence operations, notably contributing to the response following the arrest of FBI agent Robert Hanssen for spying for Russia in 2001. While criticized by some for the FBI's pre-9/11 intelligence failures, Szady defended the agency's efforts and emphasized the challenges of countering sophisticated foreign spies.

After retiring from the FBI, Szady transitioned to the private sector, serving as a national security consultant and expert witness on intelligence matters. He maintains affiliations with prominent institutions and professionals in the national security field, including partnerships with former U.S. Secretary of Defense William Cohen and affiliation with the law firm Crowell & Moring LLP. He is an alumnus of the University of Virginia and George Mason University. Szady has been quoted in media discussions on espionage, cyber threats, and U.S. counterintelligence strategies, maintaining an influence in national security circles, with interviews in outlets such as Law360 and The Washington Post. No major personal controversies or legal issues are documented in his career, though his tenure coincided with broader scrutiny of the FBI's handling of counterintelligence lapses.