Adi Raval

Adi Raval has spent the past two decades serving as a senior spokesperson for C-suite level officials, including as the communications director for major White House initiatives, a diplomat for the US Government in Afghanistan, and as a journalist for ABC News and the BBC.

Adi currently serves as the vice president for communications at Robotic Research, a defense team firm based in the Washington, DC area. In this role, Adi oversees all internal and external messaging as well as engagements with senior US and foreign government officials. Previously, he was the senior director of executive communications at Illumina, one of the world’s largest life sciences and genomics companies. Prior to that role, he was the head of communications for Shield AI, a national security focused firm creating software to help protect the lives of service members and civilians in conflict zones. Before joining Shield AI, Adi was the head of communications at TaskRabbit until it was acquired by IKEA. He also served as a senior advisor for tech startups, including Lime, where he oversaw crisis communications.

Prior to his experience leading communications for tech companies, Adi was based in Washington, DC, where he served as the global corporate head of media relations at Bechtel Corporation, one of the largest engineering and construction firms in the world. Adi also spent several years working for the U.S. Government, including serving as the communications director for President Obama’s Power Africa initiative, a unique public–private partnership between the White House and over one hundred companies aimed at increasing cleaner energy access throughout sub-Saharan Africa. He began his U.S. Government career as a diplomat based in southern Afghanistan, along the border with Pakistan. Adi was recognized for his achievements in Afghanistan, as he received both Secretary Hillary Clinton’s Expeditionary Service Award as well as the State Department’s Meritorious Honor Award.

Earlier in his career, Adi was a journalist for 12 years with the BBC and ABC News, including serving as the BBC’s Bureau Chief in Iraq and Lebanon. He was also in charge of the BBC’s White House coverage for several years. Adi has a master’s degree from Johns Hopkins University in International Public Policy, with a concentration in Energy, Resources, and the Environment, and a bachelor’s degree from Middlebury College. He is a recipient of Middlebury’s Distinguished Alumni Award.

Adi lives in Sunnyvale, California, with his wife and two young daughters.