Shield AI Appoints Gary Steele CEO, Ryan Tseng President

Shield AI has appointed Gary Steele, a seasoned technology executive, as the new CEO, succeeding co-founder Ryan Tseng who will now serve as president of the company.

The defense technology company specializing in autonomy software and defense aircraft said Wednesday Steele will officially assume the role on May 13 and will also be a member of the board of directors.

Gary Steele Career Highlights

Steele is a 30-year industry veteran with an extensive track record in scaling global technology enterprises, consistently driving companies toward operational efficiency and market leadership.

The executive is currently the president of go-to-market at Cisco, where he manages several teams including partner, sales and marketing. He previously served as the executive vice president and general manager for Splunk after it was acquired by Cisco in March 2024. Before his move to Cisco, Steele served as president and CEO of Splunk.

The Shield AI executive also founded Proofpoint in 2002 and served as its CEO for almost two decades. Steele also worked at Portera, leading its expansion as CEO for four years. He also had stints at SyBase, Sun Microsystems and Hewlett Packard Enterprise.

Tseng to Drive Local and International Partnerships

Tseng co-founded Shield AI in 2015 and has since served as its CEO. He will now take on the president role and work with high-level executives, including U.S. and foreign policy leaders. Tseng will also prioritize engagement with defense officials and senior executives of aerospace and defense companies.

The Shield AI executive previously served as technical lead for the wireless power program at Qualcomm. He also founded WiPower, serving as its CEO and chief technology officer.

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