Gary Steele

Gary Steele
Nationality	American
Occupation	Technology executive
Title	Chief Executive Officer
Employer	Shield AI
Known for	CEO of Splunk, CEO of Shield AI, President of Cisco Systems
Education	Washington State University
Awards	Washington State University Alumni Achievement Award (2025)

Gary Steele is an American technology executive who served as the chief executive officer of Splunk, a data analytics and cybersecurity company, through its acquisition by Cisco Systems in 2024. Following the acquisition, Steele served as president of Cisco's Go-to-Market organization before departing to become CEO of Shield AI, a defense technology startup valued at approximately $5.6 billion. Over the course of a career spanning multiple decades in enterprise technology and cybersecurity, Steele has held leadership positions at several prominent companies and has served on the boards of directors of publicly traded firms. In 2025, he was recognized with the Washington State University Alumni Achievement Award, the university's alumni association's highest honor, for his contributions to the technology industry.

Education

Gary Steele attended Washington State University, where he completed his undergraduate studies. In September 2025, the Washington State University Alumni Association announced that Steele would receive its Alumni Achievement Award, described as the association's highest honor. The award recognized Steele's career accomplishments in the technology sector and his contributions to the field.

Career

Early Career and Cybersecurity

Prior to his tenure at Splunk, Steele built a career in enterprise technology and cybersecurity. He held leadership roles at Proofpoint, a cybersecurity company specializing in email security and data loss prevention, where he served as CEO. His experience in cybersecurity and enterprise software positioned him as a prominent figure in the technology industry's security sector.

Splunk

Steele became CEO of Splunk, a San Francisco-based company known for its data analytics platform used by organizations to monitor, search, and analyze machine-generated data. Under his leadership, Splunk continued to develop its position in the cybersecurity and observability markets. The company's platform was used by enterprises and government agencies for security information and event management (SIEM), IT operations, and data analytics.

During Steele's tenure as CEO, Cisco Systems announced its intent to acquire Splunk in a transaction that represented one of the largest acquisitions in the history of the enterprise technology sector. The acquisition was completed in 2024, bringing Splunk's data analytics capabilities under Cisco's broader networking and security portfolio.

Cisco Systems

Following the completion of Cisco's acquisition of Splunk, Steele transitioned into the role of president of Cisco's Go-to-Market organization, overseeing the integration of Splunk's operations into Cisco's broader enterprise. In this capacity, he was responsible for sales and go-to-market strategy across Cisco's product lines. He subsequently departed from Cisco to pursue a new leadership role in the defense technology sector.

Shield AI

In March 2025, it was announced that Steele would join Shield AI, a San Diego-based defense technology startup, as its new chief executive officer. Shield AI, which develops autonomous aircraft systems and artificial intelligence pilots for military applications, was valued at approximately $5.6 billion at the time of Steele's appointment.

The appointment marked a transition for Steele from the enterprise software sector to defense technology. Shield AI's products include autonomous systems designed for military operations, including drone technology and AI-driven piloting systems. Steele's hiring was viewed as an effort by Shield AI to bring experienced corporate leadership to a company moving from startup phase toward scaled operations and production.

In a June 2025 interview with Breaking Defense, Steele discussed his vision for Shield AI, stating that he intended to bring "a different level of maturity and focus as we grow at scale." He also announced that Shield AI planned to launch a "next-gen aircraft" in September 2025, describing the moment as a "tremendous opportunity" for the company.

By December 2025, Steele described Shield AI as being at "an inflection point," as the company's autonomous systems gained traction in defense markets, including interest stemming from their use in conflict zones such as Ukraine. Fortune reported on the company's growth trajectory and Steele's efforts to position Shield AI as a major player in the defense technology industry.

Board Service

In August 2025, Samsara Inc., a publicly traded company operating a Connected Operations platform for businesses managing physical operations, announced the appointment of Steele to its board of directors. Samsara, which trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol IOT, cited Steele's experience as a technology executive in announcing the appointment.

Recognition

In September 2025, Washington State University announced that Steele had been selected to receive the Alumni Achievement Award from the Washington State University Alumni Association. The award is described as the association's highest honor and is conferred upon alumni who have achieved distinction in their professional careers. The university cited Steele's leadership in the technology sector, including his roles at Splunk, Cisco, and Shield AI, as the basis for the recognition.

Steele's career trajectory—from cybersecurity leadership at Proofpoint to overseeing one of the technology industry's largest acquisitions at Splunk and Cisco, and subsequently leading a defense technology startup—has been documented by technology and business media outlets including CRN, Fortune, and Breaking Defense.