Flex CEO Details Missile Incident at Ukraine Facility

Park City, Utah — Flex CEO Revathi Advaithi described a harrowing experience when her company’s facility in Ukraine was struck by a missile in late August. Speaking at Fortune’s Brainstorm Tech gathering, Advaithi recalled receiving the news via text at 10 p.m. that night.

Initially suspecting it was a prank, Advaithi quickly learned the reality of the situation. Flex’s facility in Mukachevo, located in western Ukraine, was not typically near zones of military activity due to the Ukraine-Russia conflict. Thanks to emergency protocols, Flex successfully evacuated 600 workers within seven minutes.

Although several employees and contractors suffered injuries, no fatalities were reported. Advaithi noted the local team had bomb shelters prepared, which helped ensure everyone’s safety. “We want to make sure that awesome team in Ukraine gets a chance,” she stated, emphasizing her commitment to rebuilding the facility, which accounted for 1% of Flex’s revenue.

Advaithi was recognized this year on Fortune’s Most Powerful Women list for her leadership and efforts in transforming Flex within the manufacturing sector. “This is the role of every CEO,” she commented. “You never know what’s going to come in the next minute and the next day.”

In addition to unexpected missile strikes, Advaithi is navigating various challenges in her role. She successfully pivoted Flex into the energy sector, developing advanced cooling and computing solutions for data centers. As the CEO of over 100,000 employees worldwide, she is also focused on reskilling workers in manufacturing positions.

Advaithi voiced her opinions on the previous U.S. administration’s attempts to revitalize manufacturing in the U.S., stating, “cell phones will never be made here” while advocating for a higher-skilled workforce. Furthermore, she shared her personal journey of battling breast cancer and her desire to encourage more women to enter manufacturing. “It’s going to take a lot of work,” she said, recognizing that progress won’t come solely from directives within the C-suite.