Sheryl Root
Associate Professor of the Practice, Integrated Innovation Institute
Based at Carnegie Mellon University Silicon Valley, Sheryl Root is an associate professor of the practice for the M.S. in Software Management program. In her role as faculty, Root both develops curriculum and teaches courses that merge technology with entrepreneurship.
Outside of Carnegie Mellon, Root is the owner of RootAnalysis, a consulting firm specializing in corporate strategy and marketing. For more than 13 years, her firm has worked with C-level Silicon Valley executives at high-tech companies, such as HP-Compaq, Oracle/PeopleSoft, Hyperion, Philips, Novell, and many startup organizations.
Prior to joining academia, Root had an extensive career in the software industry, including a 20-year tenure working for Hewlett-Packard (HP). While at HP, she excelled in a number of roles, including director of business strategy, director of marketing operations for services, director of the software initiative, and manager of Unix environments. Specializing in the area of software, she led internal teams of consultants for HP operations across the globe, advancing the company’s process practices in software engineering and business management.
Root is a leader, board member, and advocate for many world-renowned institutes and organizations. She is chairman of the Advisory Board for Women in Technology International (WITI), a member of the Board of Advisors for the Stanford Business School Sloan Program, and board member of Netswitch Technology Management. She has coached numerous startups to achieve success in high-tech industries. Additionally, she is a frequent speaker in high-tech subject areas such as agile marketing, strategy, women in STEM, career planning, leadership, new business models, and organizational structures.
Outside of work, Root is a connoisseur of wines and previously owned her own vineyard. In a previous life, she used to race cars.
Education
BS, Math, Computer Science and English, University of California
1993 MBA, Business, Stanford University
Media mentions
CMU Engineering
Legendary lessons from Silicon Valley
Pixar founder, Alvy Ray Smith, inspires Silicon Valley students in the Integrated Innovation Institute, whose master’s degrees combine studies in design, business, and engineering disciplines.
Cision PR Newswire
Root quoted on Extreme Innovation
CMU-SV’s Sheryl Root was quoted in a press release for Sandy Carter’s latest book, Extreme Innovation. The book is a new guide to innovation with more than 100 case studies, including studies conducted at CMU-SV.