Voice of Experience: Rhonda Mims, President, ING Foundation & SVP, Corporate Responsibility and Multicultural Affairs, ING

By Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)

Rhonda Mims, President, ING Foundation & SVP, Corporate Responsibility and Multicultural Affairs, ING, said she was glad to have learned the value of a non-linear career.

Having begun her career as an attorney, then working for the government, and finally moving to the corporate space, Mims has had a broad range of experiences. She explained, “For a number of years, I have understood the fact that every career doesn’t have a straight linear curve.” Looking back though, she said, “When I started, I was so focused that I may have missed opportunities to go to the left or the right, instead of going straight up.”

Mims now leads the ING Foundation as well as corporate responsibility and diversity and inclusion initiatives at ING. “It’s an incredible job,” she added.

From Law to Corporate Responsibility

“I started my career as a lawyer in the South, working in government positions. Eventually I became deputy assistant attorney general of South Carolina. Then I moved to DC and worked for the national district attorneys association.”

Mims continued, “I had a strong interest in mentoring and alternate sentencing for youth, and other programs for getting youth back on track. Then I ended up at the Department of Justice, working in environmental litigation for the Reno administration. I focused on green power and the clean air act, and then I was recruited to Aetna to work in their government market business.”

“I ended up coming over to Aetna, which was later acquired by ING,” she said. “I’ve tended to switch my job every two years,” she said with a laugh. “I worked in sales and marketing and litigation, and then in government affairs, and I found myself being drawn to work in corporate America, but I also wanted to do good.”

Mims continued, “I raised my hand and said I would love to run the Foundation. And lo and behold, the role became available.”

Leading the Foundation, Learning New Lessons

Throughout her accomplished career, Mims said she has many achievements for which she’s proud. But one that stands out in her work with the ING Foundation is the creation of the ING-Girls Inc. Investment Challenge, a program that provides mentoring and role models for girls, as they learn about money and investing. “It’s a labor of love,” she joked. “We’ve worked from the ground up with incredible women. We work in the organization and it ties into community outreach.” Mims mentioned she has worked with the Clinton Global Initiative on the program.

Currently, Mims said, her most interesting role is the social media component of the ING Foundation. “As we get into 2011, I’m definitely excited for the next steps – linking to other parts of the business.”

Additionally, she said she was enjoying the planning phase of ING’s 2011 symposium for Corporate Responsibility and Diversity & Inclusion. She said, “It’s always a great event, but we want to incorporate not only the true believers, but deeper audiences.”

Which way will Mims head next? Looking to the future, she said, “In five years I’ll still be in corporate America, hopefully heading up a group of folks. I want to showcase how corporate responsibility is embedded in the organization.”

She continued, “And in 10 years, I’d like a more academic role, teaching about corporate responsibility at a prestigious university, as it relates to diversity and corporate citizenship.”

Industry Issues

Mims said she is inspired by the opportunity to rebuild trust in the financial industry in the coming years. “As a consumer and not just as an employee of a financial services company, I’m interested in work toward restoring trust.

She continued, “We’ve gotten a little beyond that. Consumers are the underpinning of the financial services industry.”

Additionally, Mims said, she’s also interested in financial education. “It’s a huge part of work that I do. I foresee other companies playing bigger roles in that space as well.”

Advice for Women Leaders

“For women in corporate responsibility space, we have a pretty good slate of opportunities. But when it comes to financial services in general, there’s work to be done,” Mims said.

Mims said that women’s growing personal financial acumen has influenced the way companies are recruiting and retaining women. She explained, “And as women have become more in tune with securing their financial future, they want to be involved with a company that cares about them.”

She continued, “The challenge is reaching out.”

Work/life issues are always challenging as well, she said. “I do struggle with work/life balance,” Mims said. “Especially as a working mother. I think you can have it all, but not all at the same time. You make trade-offs, prioritizing work and family. It’s a juggling act.”

Young women, she said, should find a workplace where they can be true to themselves. “Pick a place where you can take your whole self to work,” she said. “Interview companies as they are interviewing you. Ask the right questions, get as much information as you can. If you can, ask employees what is like to work there. Understand what the culture is, and make sure you ask cultural questions. Spend time with your potential team.”

For example, she continued, “I’m very proud to work at ING. It’s a culture that fits my beliefs. It’s a culture where you can develop, make mistakes, and prove yourself.”

Women who are advancing in their careers, she said, should pay attention to where they are lacking skills. “It’s important to recognize what you don’t know, and work toward enhancing those skills.”

ING has initiated a number of programs designed to attract and retain women. Mims works closely with the talent management team. “We are making sure we create programs for mid-level women as well as senior level women who are already at the top of the ladder. We also have programs for multicultural women at different levels of the organization.”

In her spare time, Mims said she enjoys tennis, shopping, and travel. She hopes to travel to an “exotic location” in 2011. “2010 was quite a busy year,” she explained.