![]() | This article contains content that is written like an advertisement .(August 2023) |
Revathi Advaithi | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Born | India | October 18, 1967
Education | Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BS) Thunderbird School of Global Management (MBA) |
Title | CEO of Flex |
Term | February 2019 – present |
Predecessor | Mike McNamara |
Revathi Advaithi is an Indian-born American business executive. She is the CEO of Flex (formerly Flextronics) and an advocate for women in STEM [1] and in the workplace.
Prior to joining Flex in 2019, Advaithi worked in various leadership positions at Eaton and Honeywell. [2]
Advaithi is a co-chair of the World Economic Forum (WEF) Advanced Manufacturing CEO Community (2022) and has joined the WEF Alliance of CEO Climate Leaders (2021).
She currently serves as an independent director on the Board of Directors of Uber [3] and Catalyst.org. [4] She is also a member of the MIT Presidential CEO Advisory Board. She was named to Fortune ’s Most Powerful Women list in 2019, 2020, [5] 2021, [6] 2022, [7] and 2023. [8]
Advaithi graduated with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the Birla Institute of Technology and Science in 1990, and earned an MBA from the Thunderbird School of Global Management in 2005. [9]
Advaithi began her career as a shop floor supervisor at Eaton in Shawnee, Oklahoma. [10] She joined Honeywell in 2002, where she spent six years in functions spanning manufacturing and supply chain. In 2008, Advaithi returned to Eaton and helped run various groups within the electrical business unit for 10 years before becoming Eaton's COO. [3]
In February 2019, Advaithi joined Flex as CEO with a focus on driving the next era of technology, manufacturing and supply chain. [11]
Under Advaithi, Flex has shifted its focus to end-to-end customer value chain ownership, augmenting its core contract manufacturing business. [12]
Revathi has shared that her business philosophy heavily focuses on sustainability, culture, [13] and diversity and inclusion. [14] She frequently provides industry guidance for the manufacturing and supply chain sectors. [15]
United States President Joe Biden appointed Advaithi to the Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiations (2023) [16] and the Advisory Committee on Supply Chain Competitiveness (2022). [17] In June 2023, Advaithi participated in the “Innovation Handshake” at the White House with India Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Biden. [18] The following month, Advaithi hosted President Biden at a Flex factory in South Carolina, highlighting Flex’s partnership with Enphase Energy. [19]
Advaithi is also heavily focused on driving sustainable manufacturing practices at Flex. During her tenure, Flex made CDPs 'A list' for tackling water security [20] and has pledged to cut company carbon emissions in half by 2030. [21] In July 2022, under Advaithi's leadership, Flex announced a commitment to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040. [22]
Advaithi served on the board of BAE Systems between January 2019 - July 2020. [23] In July 2020, she stepped down from this role and joined Uber as a board member. [24] She is also a member of the Business Roundtable, [25] and Catalyst CEO Champions For Change initiative. [26]
Revathi was selected to the inaugural CNBC Changemakers: Women Transforming Business list in 2024. [27]
In 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023, Advaithi was named to Fortune's Most Powerful Women list, one of the few Indian-born CEOs recognized. [7]
In April 2022, the Wall Street Journal profiled Advaithi in “The Modeling of a Manufacturing CEO” article. [28]
In 2021, Advaithi became a member of World Economic Forum's Alliance of CEO Climate Leaders, a coalition of business leaders across key sectors committed to driving positive climate action and sustainable economic growth. [29]
The Economic Times named Advaithi “Global Indian of the Year” in the 2023 ETPrime Awards.
Advaithi is also a frequent public speaker. She has spoken at the Fortune's Global Forum [30] and Most Powerful Women conferences, the Collision Conference, [31] Ethisphere's Global Ethics Summit, [32] Silicon Valley Leadership Group Annual Forum, [33] WEF's Advanced Manufacturing Working Group, [34] Harvard Business School panels, [35] Women Executive 50 Summit and Catalyst conferences [36] and Carnegie Mellon University events. [37]
Under Advaithi, Flex was named one of the World's Most Admired [38] and Most Ethical Companies, [39] and recognized on the Global 500 by Fortune. [40]
Advaithi was born in India in 1967 to A.N.N Swamy, a chemical engineer and Visalam Swamy, a homemaker. Advaithi has four sisters. Her family lived in Bihar, Gujarat, Assam before finally settling in Chennai, India.
Advaithi met her husband Jeevan Mulgund in Hutchinson, KS and they married in 1998. Mulgund and Advaithi have since lived in England, Shanghai, Phoenix, AZ, Pittsburgh, PA, and they are currently residing in the San Francisco Bay Area. They have two children. [9]
Advaithi is a passionate advocate for diversity and inclusion in the workforce, as well as STEM education for girls [41] and computer science education. [42] In past interviews, Advaithi often says that she is inspired by her mother, who singlehandedly raised five daughters after her husband’s death and ensured that they received good educations. [43]
The World Economic Forum (WEF) is an international non-governmental organization, think tank, and lobbying organisation based in Cologny, Canton of Geneva, Switzerland. It was founded on 24 January 1971 by German engineer Klaus Schwab.
Flex Ltd. is an American headquartered multinational diversified manufacturing company. It is the third largest global electronics manufacturing services (EMS), original design manufacturer (ODM) company by revenue, behind only Pegatron for what concerns original equipment manufacturers. Flex's U.S. corporate headquarters are located in Austin, Texas. The company has manufacturing operations in over 30 countries, totaling about 172,000 employees.
Klaus Martin Schwab is a German mechanical engineer, economist, and founder of the World Economic Forum (WEF). He has acted as the WEF's chairman since founding the organisation in 1971. In May 2024, WEF announced that Schwab will move from his role as Executive Chairman to Chairman of the Board of Trustees by January 2025. No successor has been named.
Indra Nooyi is an Indian-born American business executive who was the chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of PepsiCo from 2006 to 2018.
Forum of Young Global Leaders, or Young Global Leaders (YGL) is a non-profit organization. It was created by Klaus Schwab, founder of the World Economic Forum and is managed from Geneva, Switzerland, under the supervision of the Swiss government. It is run by the World Economic Forum.
Chanda Kochhar is an Indian banker. She was the managing director (MD) and chief executive officer (CEO) of ICICI Bank from 2009 to 2018 She resigned from her positions in 2018 due a case of conflict of interest. Subsequently, she was fired by ICICI Bank, a decision which was later upheld by the Supreme Court of India.
The phrase women in business refers to female businesspeople who hold positions, particularly leadership in the fields of commerce, business, and entrepreneurship. It advocates for their increased participation in business.
Virginia "Ginni" Rometty is an American business executive who was executive chairman of IBM after stepping down as CEO on April 1, 2020. She was previously chairman, president and CEO of IBM, becoming the first woman to head the company. She retired from IBM on December 31, 2020, after a near-40 year career there. Before becoming president and CEO in January 2012, she first joined IBM as a systems engineer in 1981 and subsequently headed global sales, marketing, and strategy.
Denise M. Morrison is an American business executive who served as president and chief executive officer of Campbell Soup Company from 2011 through 2018. Named the "21st Most Powerful Woman in Business" by Fortune magazine in 2011, Morrison was elected a director of Campbell in October 2010. She became Campbell's 12th leader in the company's 140-year history. Morrison retired from Campbell in May 2018.
Mary Teresa Barra is an American businesswoman who has been the chair and chief executive officer (CEO) of General Motors since January 15, 2014. She is the first female CEO of a 'Big Three' automaker. In December 2013, GM named her to succeed Daniel Akerson as CEO. Prior to being named CEO, Barra was executive vice president of global product development, purchasing, and supply chain.
Mallika Srinivasan is an Indian industrialist and is the chairman and managing director of Tractors and Farm Equipment Limited, a tractor major incorporated in 1960 at Chennai, India. She is also the Chairperson of the Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB) constituted by the Government of India. She is additionally on the Global Board of U.S.-India Business Council (USIBC), and the Boards of AGCO Corporation - United States. She is a core member of the BRICS Women's Business Alliance and a member of India-US CEO Forum. She is also the member on the Governing Body of Stella Maris College - Chennai.
Leena Nair is a British-Indian business executive who is the chief executive officer (CEO) of Chanel. Nair previously was the chief human resource officer of Unilever and member of the Unilever leadership executive. Nair was responsible for the human capital of Unilever, which operates across multiple regulatory and labour environments spread over 190 countries. Under her leadership, Unilever has been named the number one FMCG graduate employer of choice in 54 countries. Nair is an advocate for human-centred workplaces and compassionate leadership.
Ameera Shah (born 24 September 1979) is an Indian entrepreneur and the managing director of Metropolis Healthcare, a multinational chain of pathology centers based in Mumbai, with presence in seven countries. She is the daughter of Dr Sushil Shah, the founder and chairman of Metropolis Healthcare. She has been honored as a 2015 Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum.
Feike Sijbesma is a Dutch business executive who was CEO and chairman of the managing board of DSM from 2007 until 2020. And in 2022, he was nominated as honorary chairman. He helped the Dutch government from March to September 2020 as special voluntary corona envoy, especially focused on testing policy and availability. From mid 2020, Sijbesma focuses on several board positions and the African malnutrition issue and climate (adaptation).
Anjali Sud is an American businesswoman and technology and media executive. She is the CEO of Tubi, the entertainment platform and Free ad-supported streaming television service owned by Fox Corporation. Sud was previously CEO of Vimeo for six years, until August 2023. She was appointed to the position in July 2017 and took the company public in May 2021. Sud is on the boards of Dolby Laboratories and Change.org, is a designated Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum, and was listed as one of Fortune's 40 Under 40 rising business leaders in 2018.
Sonia Syngal is an American businesswoman who formerly served as the chief executive officer (CEO) of Gap, Inc., the largest specialty apparel company in the U.S.
Julie Terese Sweet is an American business executive and attorney. She is chair and chief executive officer (CEO) of Accenture, a multinational professional services company.
Carol B. Tomé is an American business executive who is the chief executive officer of United Parcel Service (UPS). She is formerly of The Home Depot, where she worked from 1995 to 2019, as Vice President and Treasurer and later as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. She has been a board member for UPS since 2003.
The Great Reset Initiative is an economic recovery plan drawn up by the World Economic Forum (WEF) in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The project was launched in June 2020, and a video featuring the then-Prince of Wales Charles was released to mark its launch. The initiative's stated aim is to facilitate rebuilding from the global COVID-19 crisis in a way that prioritizes sustainable development.
Karen S. Lynch is an American businesswoman and the president and chief executive officer of CVS Health. Lynch serves on the board of directors of AHIP, CVS Health, and U.S. Bancorp. In 2015, she became the first female president of Aetna. She has held executive positions at Magellan Health Services and Cigna. In 2021, she became the highest-ranking female chief executive on the Fortune 500 list. She currently serves as a member of the President's Export Council, The Business Council, the Business Roundtable, and other organizations.