The 2022 Women Leaders In Consulting: Andrea Farinelli Mindel

Andrea Farinelli Mindel is a director in the San Francisco office. Andrea has extensive experience working across all AGI industries, with a particular focus on technology and medical device organizations. She has particularly deep knowledge of Alexander Group's Revenue Growth Model™ in the areas of sales compensation, job design, go-to-customer blueprints and sales force sizing. Her most recent engagement included working with a large technology company to identify the key jobs they needed as the moved from perpetual licensing to SaaS subscription model, and how appropriately compensate the new roles.

Before joining Alexander Group, Andrea worked in expense control consulting with a private firm out of San Diego. She worked extensively with executives to identify major expense issues, develop companywide solutions and implement those solutions for her clients. Andrea has experience in developing detailed financial models and negotiating vendor contracts on behalf of her clients in order to assure they received the best possible pricing terms. In addition to expense consulting, Andrea has experience working for an early-stage technology startup. She focused on analyzing customer sales, product engagement and social media usage data in order to provide metrics for support in the strategic discussions regarding the company goal of reaching break-even within 12 months.

What do you consider your greatest personal or professional achievement?

My greatest accomplishment is balancing being a present parent and advancing my career. I have successfully advanced in consulting at the cadence I hoped for while raising a beautiful boy. I did not want there to be a trade-off, and I feel that I have found that balance.

What advice would you give to a female consultant just beginning her career?

Find your voice. It doesn't mean you have to be the loudest person in the room or even the person who talks the most. What's important is to find the approach where you are heard, respected, and, most importantly, comfortable with how you're executing your work. Discover the approach that makes you most confident and lean into it.

What do you enjoy most about your consulting career?

I chose the consulting profession because I enjoy the ambiguity of the issues we face every day. I consistently face challenging business problems and must use intelligence and creativity to solve them. We are constantly learning but must also transfer our knowledge. I love working in an environment where learning is front and center and critical to our success.

What's the best advice—personal or professional—you've ever received?

Don't let yourself get too comfortable! Pushing yourself through a personal or professional challenge will make you feel uneasy. But it also requires you to work a little harder, which is where you should strive to be.

What does being honored as a Woman Leader in Consulting mean to you?

This award highlights the importance of building and maintaining a strong community in a male-dominated industry. By being nominated, I sincerely acknowledged the value that all our consultants, not just women, bring to the organization. Being selected as an award winner has connected me with a whole new community of people. As this journey continues, it highlights the powerful impact women can have in any community when we work to raise everyone up.