Shailja Gupta is an AI/ML Product Manager at ADP, where she drives innovative initiatives that enable businesses to harness data in new and powerful ways. CToday Awards honored her as the “Transformational Leader in AI & Product Strategy—2025.” With a solid background in software engineering and AI/ML, Shailja has emerged as a prominent figure in the technology space, combining technology and business strategy to develop impactful solutions.

Early Career, Transition to Product Management, and Innovation at ADP

Shailja started her career as a software engineer at IBM, designing large-scale data-driven systems and cloud technologies. This experience gave her a great understanding of the potential of cloud solutions to ensure business success. Shailja shifted her focus to McAfee, where she worked on building secure, scalable solutions for cloud security, with her efforts in threat detection and anomaly detection systems contributing to web and cloud platform security. Eventually, Shailja shifted from tactical development to strategic management, leading her to join Carnegie Mellon University for an MS in Product Management. This defining milestone enhanced her knowledge of both technology and business strategy.

At ADP, Shailja led the creation of Conversational AI Analytics and Report Assist, two pioneering GenAI-powered products that are redefining how HR professionals interact with workforce data. These innovations have introduced a paradigm shift in the payroll industry, enabling business users to retrieve enhanced analytics and reporting insights using natural language, without requiring technical expertise. These solutions have significantly accelerated intelligent decision-making across HR ecosystems. Shailja also introduced the GenAI Playground, an internal experimentation hub to facilitate innovation, promote rapid prototyping, and product ideation using large language models.

Commitment to Responsible AI and Recognition

Shailja has contributed extensively to Responsible AI, having written seven peer-reviewed articles, two of which have been published in IEEE conferences. Her research is centered on the ethical implications of AI and large language models, and she has gained 48 international citations, further establishing her as an expert in the field. In appreciation of her pioneering work, Shailja was honored with several high-profile awards in 2025, such as the ADP Spotlight Award, Amplitude’s Most Admired Product Leader Award, the Conglomerate Excellence Award for AI & Product Management, and was shortlisted in the Women in AI Awards for AI Innovator of the Year, Private Sector. These awards reflect her leadership and dedication to developing ethical AI solutions.

Vision for the Future and Advice for Future Professionals

Shailja envisions an AI-driven future marked by human-centric AI agents, strong AI governance, and low-code/no-code democratization. She believes that combining AI with technologies such as blockchain, quantum computing, and advanced robotics will lead to a wave of value-creating innovation. For aspiring professionals, Shailja advises to build a strong foundation in both technology and business, embracing continuous learning, and prioritizing ethical considerations in their work. She encourages them to stay curious, experiment boldly, and collaborate to create lasting innovations in the ever-evolving tech landscape.