President and CEO, Arista Networks – 2008-present
Arista Networks‘ growth under Jayshree Ullal has been nothing short of remarkable, with revenues swelling by over ten-fold to $5.9bn since she took the high-performance networking vendor public in 2014.
Ullal joined Arista as its President and CEO in 2008, four years’ into its existence, having previously spent 15 years at Cisco (including the last three as Senior Vice President of the Data Center, Switching and Security Technology Group).
One of four UK-born leaders in this list, she was raised in India before moving to the US in her teens. With a net worth of $4bn, she ranked 11th in Forbes America’s Self-Made Women (2024).
Leadership style
Not a flamboyant leader by her own admission (see 5.50 mins in interview below), Ullal’s leadership philosophy emphasises innovation, collaboration and long-term value creation, according to India Founder magazine.
Low points
Arista in 2018 agreed to pay Cisco $400m to settle a four-year legal dispute, something Ullal recently acknowledged was a challenging episode.
Killer quote: “As human beings we all want to do a good job, be acknowledged and crave that appreciation. Treat your peers and team respectfully, cultivate their inner strengths and harness their full potential.”
What our panellists said about Ullal
Rachel Brindley, Senior Director of Channels, Canalys
“I remember seeing her present at a Cisco analyst event many years ago and was impressed with her vision. I’ve long admired her tenure at Arista, growing the organisation from the ground up through to IPO, as well as building a broad partner and alliance ecosystem.”
Angela Whitty, CEO, Ampito
“With a career spanning over three decades, and having key roles in both Cisco then Arista, Jayshree Ullal should be recognised for her exceptional contributions to the networking and technology industry. As the President and CEO of Arista Networks, she has driven the company to unprecedented heights, pioneering advancements in cloud networking and datacentre technology. Her visionary leadership and strategic acumen have enabled Arista to become a global leader in high-performance networking solutions. Jayshree has consistently demonstrated a commitment to innovation, excellence, and diversity, inspiring countless individuals – both male and female alike – in the tech community. Her influence as well as her countless awards and achievements underscore her rightful place among the most impactful tech leaders of our time.”
How did IT Channel Oxygen compile The Century’s Greatest Vendor Leaders? See here
