Internationally recognized author, speaker and expert on corporate strategy, Cuban-born Ana Mollinedo Mims brings the unique perspective of a seasoned leader who has worked across industries.
Mims’ appeared on The Today Show, spoken nationally on workplace trends and diversity, and has been widely quoted and featured in publications such as: The Wall Street Journal, Crain’s New York Business, Fortune, Profiles in Diversity Journal, Diversity, Inc., Workforce magazine, Latina Style Magazine and Black Enterprise Magazine.
With 23 years serving Fortune 500 companies such as Cable & Wireless International, Eli Lily, and Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Mims understands how to manage global change, growth and marketplace perception across industries. Equally comfortable with CEOs, boards and employee groups, she is a master collaborator who can build partnerships and alliances, connect strategy to reality and transform innovation into a stronger market presence.
Mims has extensive experience in the external communication and corporate affairs arenas including government and regulatory practices, merger and acquisition communication, marketing and brand management, and crisis communication. A firm believer in metrics, she knows first hand the importance of return on investment.
As a Managing Director at The Hunting Ridge Group, she brings her corporate experience to both public and private companies, as well as small to mid-sized businesses, guiding them through acquisitions and investments, business development, corporate governance and workplace diversity.
Prior to The Hunting Ridge Group, Mims served as Chief Communication Officer for Cable & Wireless International, the London-based telecommunications giant. As a member of the Executive Committee, she played a key role in the global consolidation of marketing communication, the implementation of brand architecture and guidelines, and development of numerous strategic alliances that increased both sales and customer satisfaction. The consolidation effort resulted in major savings for the Caribbean and Latin America areas.
As Vice President, Communication, Community Affairs & Diversity for Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, she was responsible for developing the company’s global communication, philanthropy and diversity areas. She created an award winning diversity and supplier procurement program, simultaneously increasing retention and corporate presence in minority markets while generating savings.
Prior to joining Starwood, she served as Vice President, Corporate Communications for CEMEX Corporation in Monterrey Mexico, where she was responsible for Global Communications and Investor Relations. Earlier in her career, Mims also worked for Eli Lilly and Monsanto where she had regional responsibility for the development of the regional corporate and external affairs practices of both corporations.
Outside the corporate world, she has also worked with several nonprofit and minority-based organizations including The Martin Luther King Center in Atlanta, Georgia, where she was the Executive Director responsible for the operations of the Center and managing the intellectual property rights of the Estate of Martin Luther King.
Her first book, Keeping the Faith, received an honorable mention at the International Latin Book Awards. Mims also served as a national spokesperson for theCatalyst study,Latinas in the Workplace: What Companies and Managers Need to Know. In 2006, Profiles in Diversity named her as one of its “Women to Watch in Business.”
She has served on the Board of Trustees of the Hispanic College Fund, Board of Directors of the Multicultural Foodservice and Hospitality Alliance, the Board of Directors of the Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Senior Executive Corporate Board of the US Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and is an alumna and member of Leadership Atlanta Class 2000. In August 2003, she attended the prestigious Harvard Business School Executive Program on Corporate Board Leadership and SOX training.
Mims holds a Bachelor of Science in Political Science and a Bachelor of Arts in Political History from Barry University, as well as an MBA in Finance from Nova Southeastern University.
An avid sailor, Mims has sailed in Australia and throughout the Caribbean. When she’s on land, she likes to golf, cross-country ski, and ride her Harley. She lives in Connecticut with her husband and daughter.