Jayshree Ullal

Jayshree V. Ullal
Ullal in 2015
Born (1961-03-27) March 27, 1961 (age 63)
London, England
NationalityAmerican
Alma materSanta Clara University
San Francisco State University
Occupation(s)CEO and president, Arista Networks
SpouseVijay Ullal
Children2 daughters
Websitearista.com

Jayshree V. Ullal (born March 27, 1961) is a British-American billionaire businesswoman, president and CEO of Arista Networks, a cloud networking company responsible for the deployment of 10/25/40/50/100/ 400/ 800 Gigabit Ethernet networking in the data center.[1]

Early life and education

Ullal was born on March 27, 1961, in London into a Hindu family of Indian origin.[2] She grew up in New Delhi, India,[2] and was schooled at Convent of Jesus and Mary, Delhi.[1]

She attended San Francisco State University,[3] where she graduated with a B.S. in electrical engineering in 1981.[4] She went on to Santa Clara University where she received an M.S. in Engineering Management and Leadership in 1986.[5]

Career

Early career

Ullal began her career as a senior strategic development engineer at Fairchild Semiconductor and later joined Advanced Micro Devices (AMD),[6] where she designed high-speed memory chips for IBM and Hitachi.[7] In 1988 she joined Ungermann-Bass,[7] where she was director of the company's internetworking business unit.[8]

In March 1992, Ullal joined Crescendo Communications, a maker of Fiber Distributed Data Interface (FDDI) network products, as vice-president of marketing.[8] She helped pioneer 100-Mbit/s Copper Distributed Data Interface (CDDI) products[9] and worked on first-generation Ethernet switching.[10]

Cisco

In September 1993, Cisco Systems acquired Crescendo Communications, marking Cisco's first acquisition and first foray into the switching market.[11] Ullal thereby joined Cisco and began work on the Cisco Catalyst switching business, which grew from its beginning in 1993 to a $5 billion business in 2000.[12] As vice president and general manager of LAN switching in the Enterprise group,[citation needed] Ullal initiated strategic initiatives such as unified communications, IP telephony, content networking and policy networking.[12] She oversaw some 20 mergers and acquisitions for Cisco in the enterprise sector.[13]

By 2005 she became Senior Vice President of the Data Center, Switching and Security Technology Group.[14] Responsibilities included the direction of the modular Nexus and Catalyst Data Center Switching and Application/Virtualization services which saw about $15 billion of direct and indirect revenue.[15] Ullal's career at Cisco spanned more than 15 years.

Arista

In October 2008, co-founders Andy Bechtolsheim & David Cheriton named Ullal CEO & President of Arista Networks, a cloud networking company located in Santa Clara, CA.[16]

Ullal was named by Forbes magazine as "one of the top five most influential people in the networking industry today" for her work at Arista Networks.[17]

In June 2014, Ullal led Arista Networks to an IPO on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol ANET.[18]

Jayshree was named one of Barron's “World's Best CEOs” in 2018 [19] and one of Fortune's “Top 20 Business persons” in 2019.[20]

Board of directors

Awards and honors

  • Nominated as one of the 20 powerful Women to Watch in 2001 by Newsweek[24]
  • 2001 Innovator and Influencer Award by Information Week[citation needed]
  • 2005 One of the 50 Most Powerful People in Networking by Network World[25]
  • One of the Top Women in Storage in 2007[9]
  • A Women of Influence award for Security CSOs in 2008[26]
  • A Top Ten Executive in VMWorld 2011[27]
  • One of the seven prominent Indian-origin women in the IT industry, according to The Economic Times[28]
  • Recipient of the 2013 Santa Clara University School of Engineering Distinguished Engineering Alumni Award[citation needed]
  • Ranked #2 in Top 25 Disrupters of 2014 list by CRN[29]
  • Ranked #3 in Top 25 Disrupters of 2015 list by CRN[30]
  • Ranked #9 in the 30 Most Impressive Female Engineers Alive Today list by Best Computer Science Degrees[31]
  • EY US Entrepreneur Of The Year Award Winner 2015[32]
  • World's Best CEOs: Growth Leaders 2018[33]
  • 1 on Masala's MOST INFLUENTIAL Asian Women in America list[34]
  • Named to Barron's “World's Best CEOs” list in 2018 and 2019.[35]
  • 18 on Fortune's Businessperson of the Year for 2019 list.[36]
  • Honored with 8th annual Forbes’ America's Richest Self-Made Women in 2022.[37]
  • Member of Silicon Valley Business Journal's first Power 100 list for 2023.[38]
  • 2023 ET Global Indian award winner[39]
  • 2024 Banyan Tree Award[40]
  • 2025 Silicon Valley Power 100[41]

Personal life

She is married to Vijay Ullal. They have two daughters and live in Saratoga, California.[42][2] Vijay Ullal, now a venture capitalist and investor, was president and chief operating officer of Fairchild Semiconductor from September 2012,[2][43] until November 2014.[44] She is also the sister of the late Saratoga City Councilwoman Susie Nagpal, who has a surviving son and daughter.[45][46] Forbes estimates that Jayshree owns about 5% of Arista's stock, some of which is earmarked for her two children, niece and nephew.[47]

References

  1. ^ a b "Meet Jayshree Ullal, Indian-American CEO among richest self-made women in US". Mint. July 6, 2022. Retrieved June 23, 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d "Jayshree Ullal: Queen of the wired world". thehindubusinessline.com. December 26, 2013. Retrieved March 8, 2018.
  3. ^ "SFSU Magazine Fall 2006 Alumni and Friends, Jayshree Ullal of Cisco Systems". Sfsu.edu. January 2, 2007. Archived from the original on October 19, 2016. Retrieved May 10, 2012.
  4. ^ "Jayshree Ullal". The California State University. Retrieved June 22, 2023.
  5. ^ "Jayshree Ullal". Santa Clara University. August 17, 2015. Retrieved June 22, 2023.
  6. ^ Electronics, Volume 60, Issues 1–13. McGraw-Hill. 1987. p. 89. ... says Jayshree Ullal, senior strategic development engineer at AMD.
  7. ^ a b Swarnendu (September 12, 2021). "A Self-Made Business Woman, Jayshree Ullal". SEEMA. Retrieved June 23, 2023.
  8. ^ a b "People & Positions". Network World. March 23, 1992.
  9. ^ a b "Top Women in Storage". Network Computing. September 26, 2007. p. 14. Retrieved June 23, 2023.
  10. ^ Matham, Adarsh (September 8, 2013). "Tech Guru: Jayashree Ullal". The New Indian Express. Retrieved June 23, 2023.
  11. ^ "Cisco Systems closes $97 million acquisition of Crescendo Communications". UPI. September 24, 1993. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
  12. ^ a b Hickey, Andrew R. (May 12, 2008). "Senior Cisco Executive Departs". CRN. Retrieved June 24, 2023.
  13. ^ "Acquisitions by Year". June 2023.
  14. ^ Lawson, Stephen (July 8, 2005). "Cisco executives retire, insiders moved up". Computerworld. Retrieved June 24, 2023.
  15. ^ "Jayshree Ullal". Arista. Retrieved June 24, 2023.
  16. ^ "Arista Networks Names Jayshree Ullal President and CEO, Andreas Bechtolsheim CDO and Chairman" (Press release). Arista Networks. October 23, 2008. Retrieved November 3, 2012.
  17. ^ "The 7 Most Powerful People In Tech You've Never Heard Of". Forbes. November 2, 2011. Retrieved December 3, 2013.
  18. ^ "Arista Announces Pricing of Initial Public Offering" (Press release). Arista Networks. June 5, 2014. Retrieved June 5, 2014.
  19. ^ "World's Best CEOs: 30 Leaders With Talent to Spare". Barron's. May 26, 2018. Retrieved May 26, 2018.
  20. ^ "Businessperson of the Year 2019". Fortune. November 19, 2019. Archived from the original on December 31, 2019. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
  21. ^ "Jayshree Ullal, Former Cisco Senior Executive, joins Zscaler Board". zscaler.com. Retrieved September 3, 2008.
  22. ^ "Management Team – Board of Directors". arista.com. May 27, 2020. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  23. ^ "SNOWFLAKE LEADERSHIP – Board of Directors". snowflake.com. Retrieved September 9, 2020.
  24. ^ "Watch Out". Newsweek. January 7, 2001.
  25. ^ "The 50 most powerful people in networking, listed alphabetically". Network World. December 26, 2005. Retrieved June 24, 2023.
  26. ^ "Women of Influence Honorees – CSO Online – Security and Risk". CSO Online. April 8, 2008. Archived from the original on April 6, 2012. Retrieved May 10, 2012.
  27. ^ "Top 10 Executives from VMworld". SiliconANGLE. September 2, 2011. Retrieved May 10, 2012.
  28. ^ "Jayshree Ullal – Seven prominent Indian-origin IT industry women in US". Economic Times. June 6, 2013. Retrieved December 3, 2013.
  29. ^ "The Top 25 Disrupters Of 2014". CRN. August 11, 2014. Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved September 22, 2014.
  30. ^ "The Top 25 Disrupters Of 2015". CRN. August 3, 2015. Archived from the original on August 9, 2015. Retrieved August 17, 2015.
  31. ^ "The 30 Most Impressive Female Engineers Alive Today". www.bestcomputersciencedegrees.com. September 2015. Retrieved October 8, 2015.
  32. ^ "EYVoice: EY US Entrepreneur Of The Year Winners Reach For The Clouds". Forbes. Archived from the original on November 17, 2015. Retrieved November 30, 2015.
  33. ^ "World's Best CEOs: Growth Leaders". barrons.com. Retrieved May 28, 2018.
  34. ^ "Meet the 8 MOST INFLUENTIAL Asian Women in America". masala.com. Retrieved February 4, 2019.
  35. ^ "Barron's "World's Best CEOs"". barrons.com. Retrieved June 17, 2019.
  36. ^ "Jayshree Ullal". Fortune. Retrieved December 2, 2019.[permanent dead link‍]
  37. ^ "America's richest self-made women on forbes list". MoneyControl. July 6, 2022. Retrieved September 6, 2022.
  38. ^ "HERE'S TO THE POWER PLAYERS, SVBJ names Power 100 for 2023". Silicon Valley Business Journal. Retrieved February 3, 2023.
  39. ^ "ET Global Indian award: A passion for networking helped this 'Entrepreneur at Heart' make the switch". The Economic Times. February 22, 2023. Retrieved February 22, 2023.
  40. ^ "Easterseals Central Illinois - Banyan Tree Award". Easterseals Illinois. August 7, 2024. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
  41. ^ "Silicon Valley Power 100: Meet the region's most influential leaders". Silicon Valley Business Journal. January 7, 2025. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
  42. ^ "Forbes profile: Jayshree Ullal". Forbes. Retrieved July 1, 2021.
  43. ^ "Fairchild Semiconductor Appoints Vijay Ullal President and Chief Operating Officer". businesswire.com. September 10, 2012. Retrieved March 8, 2018.
  44. ^ Chen, Angela (November 17, 2014). "Fairchild Operating Chief to Depart Over Leadership Differences". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved March 8, 2018 – via www.wsj.com.
  45. ^ "Saratoga councilwoman Susie Nagpal dies of lung cancer". The Mercury News. May 13, 2010. Retrieved March 11, 2021.
  46. ^ "Jayshree Ullal". Forbes. Retrieved April 28, 2021.
  47. ^ "Jayshree Ullal". Forbes. Retrieved July 2, 2021.