Rear Admiral (retired) Mike Wettlaufer
Advisor

As an Advisor to Andromeda Ventures, RADM Mike Wettlaufer collaborates closely with portfolio companies and internal teams to accelerate operational maturity, scale with a risk-aware mindset, and ensure alignment between strategic vision and execution, blending military precision with entrepreneurial ambition.

Wettlaufer is a seasoned strategic leader whose 37-year career as a U.S. Navy Rear Admiral reflects a relentless commitment to mission excellence, complex systems execution, and high-stakes operational leadership, attributes that directly amplify Andromeda Ventures’ vision of scaling transformative technologies and resilient global capabilities.

Across his distinguished naval service, Wettlaufer commanded at every level of maritime and operational complexity, from frontline aviation units and nuclear-trained carrier strike groups to global logistics networks. Notably, as Commander of Carrier Strike Group 3, he led a world-spanning deployment, and as the 28th Commander of Military Sealift Command, he was responsible for sustaining the United States’ largest maritime logistics enterprise, ensuring the flow of critical capabilities across global theaters.

His leadership portfolio is defined by visionary integration of people, platforms, and strategy. Wettlaufer’s tenure at Military Sealift Command required orchestrating a fleet of more than 150 government and chartered vessels, aligning operational readiness with emergent global demand, and advancing analytical tools that strengthened strategic decision-making, experiences that mirror Andromeda’s emphasis on systems-level innovation and scalable impact.

Earlier in his career, Wettlaufer distinguished himself as a naval aviator, test pilot, and nuclear-trained officer, accumulating thousands of flight hours across diverse platforms and serving on the strategic staff of the U.S. European Command and Office of the Secretary of Defense. These roles reinforced his fluency in cross-domain problem solving, rigorous risk management, and adaptive leadership, competencies that are core to Andromeda’s approach to supporting founders shaping tomorrow’s frontier technologies.

Wettlaufer holds a B.S. in Microbiology from Colorado State University, an M.S. in Aviation Systems from the University of Tennessee, and an M.A. in National Security and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College.