Our Bureau
New York, NY
According to the CNBC report, women in leadership are reaching a level of success that is not only exceptional but highlights novel approaches to old business problems and identification of new market opportunities. Women Transforming Business list this year includes five Indian-American women – Revathi Advaithi, Sandhya Ganapathy, Dr Geetha Murali, Ritu Narayan, and Aradhana Sarin.
The report says that the women named to the inaugural CNBC Changemakers list are creating a pattern of what it takes to defy the odds, innovate and thrive in a volatile business landscape. From startup founders to S&P 500 C-suite growth drivers, from personalities shaking up the media industry to figures taking women’s sports further into the mainstream, the 2024 Changemakers have broken new ground and set the stage for others to follow.
“I learned to be adaptable, developed a thick skin and embrace situations where I felt out of my league, ” said Revathi Advaithi who is an Indian-born American business executive. She is the CEO of Flex and an advocate for women in STEM and in the workplace. Prior to joining Flex in 2019, Advaithi worked in various leadership positions at Eaton and Honeywell. Advaithi has helped build the company into one of the most trusted manufacturing partners across a variety of industries. She was also named by US President Joe Biden to the advisory committee for trade policy and negotiations.
“Seize every opportunity and do not look back,” said Sandhya Ganapathy who is the Chief Executive Officer for EDP Renewables North America (EDPR NA) and a member of the Management Team of EDP Renewables (EDPR), the fourth largest renewable energy producer in the world. Sandhya has extensive experience in renewable energy evaluations as well as leading acquisitions and evaluation of investments enabling geographical and asset class diversification.
“True success is a function of the legacy you build,” said Dr. Geetha Murali, the chief executive officer (CEO) of Room to Read, a leading international education organization that believes World Change starts with educated children. Room to Read transforms the lives of millions of children through education, creating a world free from illiteracy and gender inequality. As CEO, Geetha has been a driving force behind the exponential scale of Room to Read’s quality programs – achieving presence in 23 countries and benefiting more than 39 million children to date.
Ritu Narayan struggled with managing her career while making sure her kids could get from point A to point B. So, she started Zūm, a transportation company that focuses on students while using technology to create more efficient and environment-friendly routes. Zūm raised $140 million in series E financing in early 2024, putting the company’s valuation at $1.3 billion. The company currently serves thousands of schools, including school districts in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle. Artificial intelligence has helped the company optimize drive times, leading kids to spend less time on the bus. “Most decisions are reversible. The real skill is knowing which ones aren’t,” she said.
“I have received some very valuable pieces of advice from mentors along the way and adopting those has transformed my outlook and way of working. One is ‘think of not just the finance function, but the entire company as your team,’ and that I have really implemented in the way that I work across the business,” said Aradhana Sarin, Executive director & Global Chief Financial Officer, Astrazeneca. Sarin took on the CFO role in 2022, joining from biopharma Alexion, and worked on Wall Street in investment banking for two decades before moving into the pharmaceutical industry. She trained as a medical doctor and treated patients in Tanzania and India earlier in her career, and has an MBA from Stanford.
The report further mentions that there is still a distinct need for more coverage of innovative women leaders, and more support from the capital markets. Women leaders are still rare — they’re less than 10% of S&P 500 CEOs, while women founders draw about 2% of venture capital dollars.
Kuddos to all. Keep Great Going.