Shekar Ayyar

An experienced strategist and technologist, Shekar helps entrepreneurs bring effective execution to their world-changing ideas.

Shekar’s multi-decade career as a technology executive has spanned diverse roles across general management, M&A, strategy, business development, and research. With deep ties to the startup ecosystem, Shekar has personally overseen 60+ M&A transactions and investments for VMware, including acquisitions of Nicira, Airwatch, Velocloud, Heptio, and Uhana. His empathy as an acquirer is an invaluable asset for entrepreneurs as they create, build and scale their companies.

As Venture Partner at NTTVC, Shekar helps identify new investment opportunities and advises entrepreneurs at every phase of growth. Previously, Shekar spent nearly 14 years in executive roles at VMware, serving as EVP and GM of Telco & Edge Cloud and EVP of Strategy & Corporate Development, leading VMware’s M&A and strategic investments group.

Shekar also serves as the CEO of AdMY Technology Group, Inc., a SPAC focused on leveraging the convergence of Communications and Cloud Computing, catalyzed by 5G and Edge Computing.

Before joining VMware in 2007, Shekar led product management and business development at companies like BindView (acquired by Symantec) and Instantis (acquired by Oracle), where he was instrumental in taking earlier stage companies to maturity in their products and industry partnerships. In prior roles at Lucent and McKinsey, he advised C-level executives on a wide range of strategic technology and business decisions.

Shekar holds an MBA from the University of Pennsylvania where he was a Palmer Scholar, a Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins University, and a Bachelor’s Degree from the Indian Institute of Technology, Mumbai. He has advised on the Boards of MobiledgeX, Cohere, and Puppet, as well as the US India Business Council and the VMware Foundation. He is passionate about giving back, serving on the California Regional board of directors of Room to Read, an organization supporting literacy and girls’ education globally. Outside of work, Shekar can be found hiking and biking along the trails of Saratoga, California.