Shyam Sankar

Shyam Sankar's parents brought him to the US as a small child to escape the violence and corruption they witnessed firsthand in Nigeria, and to pursue a better life. Growing up, Shyam discovered an early love of software, leading to stints as a developer, startup founder, and executive at Xoom, a payments company serving the developing world. While each of these experiences imparted knowledge, it was Shyam's family's journey from upheaval, through several entrepreneurial failures, to establishing firmer footing that most profoundly shaped his aspirations. Shyam joined Palantir in 2006 as the first business hire. Today, as the company's President, he oversees all customer engagements, product strategy, and day to day operations worldwide. Shyam is mar ried to Pooja Nath Sankar, founder and CEO of the education company Piazza. They live in California with their two children.