Revathi Advaithi

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Revathi Advaithi (born October 18, 1967) is an Indian-American business executive who has served as Chief Executive Officer of Flex Ltd., a multinational electronics manufacturing services company, since February 2019. Her appointment made her one of the few women and one of the few Indian-born executives to lead a Fortune 500 manufacturing company.

Advaithi's journey from a small-town upbringing in India, where she was the only woman studying mechanical engineering in her college group, to leading a $26 billion global manufacturing company represents one of the most remarkable immigrant success stories in American business. She has become a prominent advocate for women in STEM fields and diversity in manufacturing.

Early life

Revathi Advaithi was born on October 18, 1967, in Bihar, India, to A.N.N. Swamy, a chemical engineer, and Visalam Swamy, a homemaker. She is of Tamil descent and has four sisters. The family moved frequently during her childhood, living in Bihar, Gujarat, and Assam before eventually settling in Chennai in southern India.

Her father's death while she was still young left her mother to raise five daughters alone. Visalam Swamy managed to send all five to college, instilling in them the importance of education and self-reliance. In interviews, Advaithi has frequently credited her mother as her greatest inspiration, describing how watching a young widow successfully raise five daughters shaped her own determination and work ethic.

"My mother has been the most significant role model to me in my life," Advaithi has said, noting how her mother's resilience demonstrated that women could overcome any obstacle.

Education

Advaithi pursued an unconventional path for an Indian woman of her generation by choosing to study mechanical engineering. She earned her Bachelor of Engineering degree from the Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani (BITS Pilani), graduating in 1986. She was the only woman in her college group pursuing mechanical engineering - an experience that prepared her for a career in male-dominated manufacturing industries.

Nearly two decades later, while building her career in the United States, she completed her MBA at the Thunderbird School of Global Management, a public business school of Arizona State University in Phoenix, in 2005.

Career

Early career on the factory floor

Advaithi's career began on the factory floor as a shop floor supervisor in Shawnee, Oklahoma. The hands-on experience in manufacturing operations gave her a practical understanding of production processes that would inform her leadership approach throughout her career.

Eaton Corporation

Advaithi joined Eaton Corporation, a power management company with over $20 billion in sales and 102,000 employees. She rose through the ranks, eventually becoming President and Chief Operating Officer of the Electrical Sector business. She also had corporate responsibility for the Europe, Middle East and Africa regions.

At Eaton, she developed expertise in manufacturing, procurement, supply chain management, and sourcing - skills directly applicable to her later role at Flex.

Honeywell International

She also worked at Honeywell International for six years, holding leadership roles spanning manufacturing, procurement, supply chain and sourcing. Her positions included General Manager of Automation and Control Solutions.

Flex Ltd. (2019-present)

In February 2019, Advaithi was appointed CEO of Flex Ltd., a global manufacturing partner that helps companies design and build products across various industries. She succeeded Michael McNamara.

As CEO, Advaithi has been responsible for architecting the company's strategic direction, overseeing approximately 170,000 employees across manufacturing facilities on four continents. The company, formerly known as Flextronics, provides design, engineering, manufacturing, and supply chain services to clients in industries including automotive, healthcare, industrial, communications, and consumer electronics.

Under her leadership, Flex has focused on advanced manufacturing capabilities and supply chain resilience, particularly important during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Personal life

Advaithi met her husband, Jeevan Mulgund, in Hutchinson, Kansas, and they married in 1998. Mulgund has served as Vice President of Integrated Supply Chain Strategy at Honeywell International and more recently became a partner at venture capital firm Ignova Ventures.

The couple has two children: a son, Pranav Mulgund, and a daughter, Lakshmi Mulgund. Their family has lived in multiple locations as Advaithi's career advanced, including England, Shanghai, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, and currently the San Francisco Bay Area.

In 2025, Advaithi and Mulgund purchased a home in Monte Sereno, California, for approximately $10 million.

Cancer diagnosis

In a 2025 essay for Time magazine, Advaithi disclosed that she is a cancer survivor. She discovered a lump in her breast while on a flight to India, leading to a diagnosis and treatment that she navigated while continuing her responsibilities as CEO. She has credited her husband Jeevan for providing "endless care, patience, and love" throughout her treatment and recovery.

Her decision to share her experience publicly was intended to encourage other women to prioritize their health and seek early screening.

Compensation

As CEO of Flex, Advaithi earned total compensation of approximately $12.7 million in 2023. Her net worth is estimated at over $31 million, including Flex stock holdings worth approximately $16.5 million.

Awards and recognition

**Fortune Most Powerful Women** - Listed consecutively from 2019 through 2023
**CNBC Changemakers: Women Transforming Business** - Inaugural list (2024)
**Economic Times Global Indian of the Year** - ETPrime Awards (2023)
**Presidential appointment** by Joe Biden to Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiations (2023)
**Presidential appointment** to Advisory Committee on Supply Chain Competitiveness (2022)

Advaithi is a member of the Business Roundtable and serves on the board of directors of Uber Technologies.

Advocacy

Advaithi is a vocal advocate for diversity and inclusion in the workforce, particularly in manufacturing and technology sectors. She has championed STEM education for girls and computer science education, drawing from her own experience as the only woman studying mechanical engineering in her college group.

She has spoken about the importance of representation, noting that seeing women in leadership positions helps inspire the next generation to pursue non-traditional careers.

References