Mimi Apelqvist is a Vice President with the Executive Search division of Cook Associates, Inc., and is based in the firm’s Chicago headquarters. A member of the Consumer & Retail practice, Mimi offers nearly two decades of direct operating experience in the consumer goods industry. During her career, she has gained functional expertise with companies that have experienced new market penetration via supply chain, distribution, licensing, joint venture, acquisition, and brand positioning. Prior to joining Cook Associates, Inc., Mimi served with a boutique executive search firm and was responsible for complete search management and candidate assessment. Her clients describe her approach to search as thorough, intuitive and sincere. Her most recent industry position was as the Director, International for True Value Company where she managed a $75 million global hardware business and provided leadership for global merger transition. She joined True Value from Fellowes Manufacturing where she held international sales and business development roles during her six years with the organization. Previously, Mimi held the position of Regional Sales Manager, South America & Africa for Newell International, a $6 billion publicly held manufacturer of consumer goods. While there, she was part of a team charged with identifying methods for growth and implementing strategies in key consumer goods industries throughout the retail and wholesale channels in Africa and Latin America. Mimi also launched Grupo Electronico, a wholesale electronic equipment import/export company. In the company's first year, she achieved $720,000 in contract sales. Her industry career began with Richardson Electronics where she managed both international credit and marketing. Mimi earned her BA from the University of Wisconsin (Madison). She also holds a masters in International Management from Thunderbird, American Graduate School of International Management. She is fluent in Spanish and proficient in Portuguese.