Shyam Sankar

Shyam Sankar is a trustee at Hudson Institute.

Mr. Sankar is also the chief technology officer and executive vice president of Palantir Technologies. A seasoned technologist, he has spent over two decades building and delivering disruptive software and artificial intelligence solutions for both government and private sector institutions. 

Joining Palantir as employee number 13, Mr. Sankar envisaged the role of the forward deployed engineer, pioneering the company’s definitional engineering model. Under his leadership, Palantir transformed from a Silicon Valley startup to a global, industry leading software and AI company.

Mr. Sankar is also a thought leader, prolific author, and frequent speaker. He routinely leads strategic sessions with elected officials and has appeared before the House Select Committee on Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party and the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Cybersecurity. A frequent guest on CNBC, his work has been featured in numerous publications, including American Affairs, the Wall Street Journal, and the Washington Post. In 2023, he launched the First Breakfast Initiative, where he regularly publishes his thought leadership. He has also appeared on a variety of podcasts, including This Week in Startups and Arsenal of Democracy. In 2024, he was named as one of the top seven people in defense tech. 

He holds a BS in electrical and computer engineering from Cornell University and an MS in management science and engineering from Stanford University. 

In addition to his work at Palantir, Mr. Sankar also serves as the chairman of Ginkgo Bioworks.