When discussions turn to Indian-origin leaders in global technology, names like Satya Nadella and Sundar Pichai often dominate. Both helm some of the world’s largest tech companies and are highly visible figures in Silicon Valley. Yet in terms of net worth, neither leads the pack anymore. According to the Hurun India Rich List 2025, the wealthiest Indian professional manager today is Jayshree Ullal, CEO and chairperson of Arista Networks.
Jayshree Ullal Tops Rich List
The 2025 Hurun India Rich List ranks Ullal at the top among Indian professional managers, with an astounding net worth of ₹50,170 crore. This places her well ahead of many globally recognized CEOs. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella comes in second at ₹9,770 crore, while Google CEO Sundar Pichai ranks seventh with ₹5,810 crore. Other notable names include Nikesh Arora of Palo Alto Networks, former PepsiCo chief Indra Nooyi, Adobe’s Shantanu Narayen, and Ajit Jain of Berkshire Hathaway.
From India to Silicon Valley
Ullal, born on March 27, 1961, in London to a Hindu family of Indian origin, grew up in New Delhi and completed her schooling at the Convent of Jesus and Mary. She later moved to the United States, earning a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from San Francisco State University, followed by a master’s in engineering management and leadership from Santa Clara University.
Early Career in Semiconductors and Networking
Her professional journey began in the semiconductor sector at Fairchild Semiconductor and Advanced Micro Devices, where she designed high-speed memory chips for clients such as IBM and Hitachi. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, she transitioned to networking, joining Ungermann-Bass and later Crescendo Communications. At Crescendo, she worked on early Ethernet switching technologies, setting the stage for her future success.
Rise at Cisco Systems
In 1993, Cisco Systems acquired Crescendo Communications, bringing Ullal into the company. She played a key role in building Cisco’s switching business from scratch, eventually growing the Catalyst division into a $5 billion operation by 2000. Over her 15-plus years at Cisco, she rose to senior vice president of the data center business, overseeing operations that generated nearly $15 billion in revenue.
Leading Arista Networks
In 2008, Ullal was appointed president and CEO of Arista Networks by founders Andy Bechtolsheim and David Cheriton. Under her leadership, the company became a major player in cloud and data center networking. Arista went public in 2014 on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol ANET. Forbes, Barron’s, and Fortune have recognized her as one of the most influential leaders in the networking industry.
A Remarkable Wealth Creation Story
Arista Networks has grown steadily under Ullal’s leadership. In 2024, the company reported revenues of around $7 billion, nearly 20 percent higher than the previous year. Ullal owns about 3 percent of Arista’s stock, forming the largest portion of her personal wealth. Hurun notes that her ascent underscores the scale of wealth creation in global technology, particularly in firms focused on cloud networking.
