Jayshree Ullal

Jayshree V. Ullal
Ullal in 2014
Jayshree V. Ullal
Born	27 3, 1961
Birthplace	London, England
Nationality	American
Occupation	Chairperson and CEO, Arista Networks
Spouse(s)	Vijay Ullal
Children	2
Website	[arista.com Official site]

Jayshree V. Ullal (born March 27, 1961) is a British-American businesswoman who serves as the chairperson and chief executive officer of Arista Networks, a cloud networking company that designs and sells multilayer network switches for large data center, cloud computing, high-performance computing, and high-frequency trading environments. Born in London and raised in India, Ullal has spent more than three decades in the networking industry, holding senior positions at Cisco Systems and AMD before joining Arista Networks in 2008. Under her leadership, Arista grew from a startup into a major publicly traded company on the New York Stock Exchange, competing directly with established networking giants. Ullal has been recognized by Forbes as one of the wealthiest self-made women in the United States, and in August 2025, a surge in Arista's stock price pushed her personal wealth to an estimated $6.4 billion. In December 2025, she topped the Hurun India rich list as the wealthiest self-made Indian-origin woman, ranking ahead of other prominent Indian-origin technology executives such as Satya Nadella and Sundar Pichai. Fortune named her Businessperson of the Year in 2019.

Early Life

Jayshree V. Ullal was born on March 27, 1961, in London, England. She is of Indian origin and was raised in New Delhi, India. Her father was an officer in the Indian military, and the family's international background — starting in London before relocating to India — exposed Ullal to different cultures from an early age.

Ullal later moved to the United States to pursue higher education, a decision that would shape the trajectory of her career in the technology industry. Her upbringing in India and subsequent move to the U.S. placed her among a generation of Indian-origin professionals who rose to prominent leadership positions in Silicon Valley.

Her sister, Susie Nagpal, was a public figure in her own right, serving as a councilwoman in Saratoga, California. Nagpal passed away in May 2010 from lung cancer.

Education

Ullal earned a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from San Francisco State University. She subsequently completed a Master of Science degree in engineering management from Santa Clara University. Her engineering background provided the technical foundation that would prove essential in a career spent at the forefront of networking technology. San Francisco State University and the California State University system have both highlighted Ullal as a distinguished alumna.

Career

Early Career and Crescendo Communications

Ullal began her career in the networking industry during a period of rapid growth in data communications. She joined Crescendo Communications, a startup that was developing high-speed networking technology. In September 1993, Cisco Systems acquired Crescendo Communications in a deal valued at approximately $97 million, one of Cisco's early and significant acquisitions that helped establish the company's dominance in network switching. Through this acquisition, Ullal became part of Cisco Systems, where she would spend a significant portion of her career.

Cisco Systems

At Cisco, Ullal rose through the ranks over a period of approximately 15 years, holding several senior engineering and management positions. She gained extensive experience in the development and marketing of networking products, particularly in the areas of switching and data center networking. Her work at Cisco encompassed leadership roles that gave her deep familiarity with enterprise and service provider markets. During her tenure, Cisco grew into the world's largest networking equipment manufacturer, and Ullal was part of the leadership team overseeing key product lines.

Her time at Cisco provided her with both the technical expertise and the business acumen necessary to understand the rapidly evolving landscape of data center networking. Ullal's experience at the company also connected her with many of the engineers and executives who would later become important figures in the networking industry.

AMD

Ullal also held a position at Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), gaining experience in the semiconductor industry. This broadened her understanding of the hardware ecosystem that underpins networking infrastructure.

Arista Networks

Appointment as CEO

In October 2008, Ullal was appointed president and chief executive officer of Arista Networks, a company that had been founded by Andy Bechtolsheim and David Cheriton, both notable figures in Silicon Valley. Arista announced Ullal's appointment, noting her extensive background in networking technology. At the time of her appointment, Arista was a relatively small company focused on developing high-performance, software-driven cloud networking solutions. The company's core product was its Extensible Operating System (EOS), a Linux-based network operating system designed for flexibility and programmability.

Growth and IPO

Under Ullal's leadership, Arista Networks experienced substantial growth. The company's focus on software-defined networking and high-speed Ethernet switching for cloud data centers aligned with the broader industry shift toward cloud computing. Arista's products found adoption among major cloud computing companies, internet service providers, and financial institutions that required high-performance, low-latency networking.

In June 2014, Arista Networks went public on the New York Stock Exchange, a significant milestone for the company. The IPO underscored the company's growth trajectory and its competitive position in the data center networking market. Arista's public offering was seen as validation of its business model, which centered on high-margin, software-driven networking products that competed with legacy offerings from larger companies such as Cisco Systems and Juniper Networks.

Strategic Direction and AI Networking

Ullal has directed Arista's strategy toward capturing demand generated by the growth of cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and machine learning workloads. The company has expanded its product portfolio to include switches supporting speeds of 10, 25, 40, 50, 100, 400, and 800 Gigabit Ethernet, addressing the escalating bandwidth requirements of modern data centers.

The growth of artificial intelligence infrastructure has been a significant driver of Arista's business. Bloomberg reported in August 2025 that Arista was among the companies benefiting from the AI investment cycle, describing it as a "pick-and-shovel" company in the AI gold rush, as the surge in AI computing demand requires massive investments in the data center networking infrastructure that Arista provides.

Supply Chain and Industry Challenges

In February 2026, Ullal addressed the issue of memory chip supply constraints during an investor call, speaking candidly about the impact of component shortages on Arista's operations. SDxCentral reported that Ullal was "blunt" in her assessment, acknowledging that Arista was not immune to the growing memory chip supply constraints affecting the broader technology industry. This forthright communication style with investors and analysts has been a hallmark of Ullal's approach to leadership at Arista.

Leadership Style

Ullal's management approach at Arista has been characterized by a focus on engineering excellence and customer-driven product development. In November 2025, she appeared on the Tech Unheard podcast hosted by Arm CEO Rene Haas, where she discussed her perspective on leadership and the technology industry.

In addition to her role at Arista, Ullal has served on corporate boards. Her husband, Vijay Ullal, has also held executive positions in the technology industry, having served as president and chief operating officer of Fairchild Semiconductor.

Personal Life

Ullal is married to Vijay Ullal, a technology executive who served as president and chief operating officer of Fairchild Semiconductor until his departure from the company in November 2014. The couple has two daughters.

Ullal holds American citizenship. She was born in London to Indian parents and raised in New Delhi before moving to the United States to pursue her education. She resides in the San Francisco Bay Area, the center of the U.S. technology industry.

Ullal has been identified as a self-made billionaire. Livemint reported that she was among the richest self-made women in the United States. In August 2025, her wealth was estimated at $6.4 billion, driven primarily by her holdings in Arista Networks stock.

Recognition

Ullal has received numerous accolades over the course of her career. In 2019, Fortune magazine named her Businessperson of the Year, placing her among an elite group of corporate leaders recognized for their impact on their respective industries.

Barron's included Ullal on its list of the World's Best CEOs in 2018, noting her leadership qualities and Arista's performance under her tenure.

Forbes has profiled Ullal on its lists of notable business figures, recognizing her both as a prominent technology CEO and as one of the wealthiest self-made women in the United States.

Network Computing named Ullal among the top women in the storage and networking industry, an acknowledgment of her influence in a field historically dominated by men.

Santa Clara University's School of Engineering has recognized Ullal as a distinguished alumna for her contributions to the technology industry. San Francisco State University and the California State University system have also highlighted her achievements as a prominent graduate.

In December 2025, Ullal topped the Hurun India rich list for 2025, becoming the wealthiest self-made Indian-origin woman. Her ranking placed her ahead of other Indian-origin technology executives, including Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and Google CEO Sundar Pichai.

Legacy

Jayshree Ullal's career trajectory — from an engineer at a small networking startup to the CEO of a multibillion-dollar publicly traded company — has made her one of the most prominent figures in the data center networking industry. Her leadership of Arista Networks during a period of transformative change in computing, from traditional enterprise data centers to hyperscale cloud infrastructure and AI-driven workloads, has placed the company at the center of several major technology trends.

Ullal is frequently cited as one of the most prominent Indian-origin executives in the global technology industry. Her rise to the top of the Hurun India rich list in 2025, surpassing fellow Indian-origin CEOs of much larger companies, highlighted the significant wealth creation possible through the leadership of a focused, high-growth technology company. Diya TV noted that she remains the wealthiest self-made Indian American woman, a distinction that underscores her position in the broader narrative of Indian-origin professionals achieving leadership roles in American technology companies.

Under Ullal's leadership, Arista Networks has grown to become a significant competitor in the networking equipment market, challenging incumbents with its software-driven approach to networking. The company's Extensible Operating System (EOS) has been adopted by many of the world's largest cloud service providers, and Arista's focus on high-speed Ethernet has positioned it to benefit from the continued growth of cloud computing and artificial intelligence infrastructure.

Ullal's career has also been noted for its significance in the context of gender representation in the technology industry. As one of a small number of women leading major technology companies, her success has drawn attention to the broader question of diversity in technology leadership.