Gayle Sheppard, a 2000 USF graduate [SVC1] and trailblazing technology executive, has been recognized with a 2025 USF Outstanding Alumni Award, one of the university’s top honors and a recognition of her career helping shape some of the world’s leading technology companies.
For Sheppard, it was not just about her professional achievements, but also her dedication to mentoring others, driving global engagement, and championing innovation.
The Outstanding Alumni award celebrates graduates who make a difference in their fields and communities. For Sheppard, it was not just about her professional achievements, but also her dedication to mentoring others, driving global engagement, and championing innovation. Sheppard is a member of the Presidential Global Leadership Council, where she advises university leadership on international strategy and works with other alumni to build partnerships and create new opportunities for students worldwide.
Sheppard earned a bachelor’s of science degree in business administration at USF and built an impressive global technology and business leadership career, including stints in Hong Kong and Tokyo. She went on to hold senior roles at industry-leaders including Microsoft and Intel and co-founded and served as CEO and Chair of Saffron AI, a cognitive computing firm acquired by Intel. Most recently, she was CEO of Bright Machines, a robotics and factory-automation company, and currently serves on [SVC2] the boards of Nutanix Inc. and Astroscale Holdings Inc.
Sheppard accepted the award alongside three other notable alumni — Rick Brandt, Beatriz “Gigi” Fernández, H. Ronald Kennedy — Class of ’56 Awardees and David Goldstein and Joanne Nelson, at the Oct. 16 USF Homecoming football game. It was the 50th anniversary of the award.
Just days before the ceremony, Sheppard participated in CyberBay 2025 where she was a member of the "Cyber Innovators Panel" which focused on the future of cybersecurity and AI, with a particular emphasis on fostering innovation in the Tampa Bay region.
She also was the keynote speaker at the 2025 International Business Forum in March, drawing on her deep experience in artificial intelligence, enterprise technology, and international business. Drawing from her leadership roles at global technology companies, Sheppard shared examples of how AI and cloud computing are transforming how businesses operate and how goods move around the world.
Learn more about Sheppard’s inspiring life story and career in this video from the USF Alumni Association.