Mindy Mackenzie

Mindy Mackenzie – or the “Velvet Hammer” as she was known during her days at liquor giant Jim Beam – is currently a sought-after speaker and CEO advisor to Fortune 100 companies. Her passion is inspiring business professionals to increase their personal fulfillment through dramatically improving their professional impact.

Mindy served as Chief Performance Officer of Beam, Inc., where she was responsible for a team of 150 and was part of the executive team that led consistent outperformance and created tremendous shareholder value, delivering double-digit earnings growth. It was her ability to lead her executive team colleagues in a refreshing “truth-telling” manner while maintaining her professionalism and grace that earned her the aforementioned nickname. Ultimately, Mindy led the organizational negotiations for the $16 billion dollar buyout of Beam, Inc. by the large Japanese holding company, Suntory. Mindy’s impressive career also includes five years at Campbell Soup Co. and nine years at Wal-Mart, where she advanced through various senior leadership HR and organizational development roles.

Mindy currently serves as a senior advisor for McKinsey, one of the most prestigious management and consulting firms in the world. She is a frequent guest lecturer for the MBA and Executive Education programs at Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. Mindy holds a Bachelor’s degree from Ambassador University and a Master’s degree from the University of Louisiana. Mindy lives with her son in the Chicagoland area.