Defense Tech Unicorn Shield AI Names Former Splunk Chief as New CEO

Gary Steele will lead the $5.3 billion drone startup. 

Shield AI makes drones and software for building autonomous systems.Source: Shield AI
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Drone and defense technology startup Shield AI has named Gary Steele as its new chief executive officer, adding a veteran tech leader less than a week after announcing a new funding deal at a $5.3 billion valuation.

Steele was previously the CEO of Splunk Inc., the software maker Cisco Systems Inc. agreed to buy in 2023 for $28 billion, the company’s largest-ever acquisition. Steele later served as Cisco’s president of go-to-market, and will stay in that position through April.