MiMi Underwood

FCE Board Member

I am a seasoned senior leader who brings a wealth of experience executing projects in fast paced and highly technical areas. Prior to retirement, my most recent role was in Google Labs where I led a team of program managers and data scientists who partnered with engineers, product managers, researchers, and executives to launch a variety of AI driven, cutting edge products and services that substantially closed the gap with competitors. As one of the key leads for Labs, I reported to the Engineering Vice President and was also his Chief of Staff. Because of how quickly AI burst on the scene and gained traction, our organization was constantly reprioritizing key projects. I was responsible for ensuring that our products went out with high quality and utilizing cutting edge evaluation methodologies. Leadership looked to me to guide discussions on our areas of investment: which areas were fruitful, which needed more time to discern, and which needed to pivot resources to more promising areas. Working for Google for 18+ years across a variety of internal organizations, I developed a reputation for shepherding highly complex projects over the finish line and mentoring many
rising leaders in the organization.

Over the course of my career I managed a variety of budgets, many in excess of $100M annually and managed a number of vendor relationships. While both of my parents went to college and expected me to get a college education, it was not a straightforward endeavor for me because my father’s employer of 20 years unexpectedly closed during my freshman year of college. Because of this I had to work, including tutoring math, to pay for my college and it took 7 years for me to graduate. While it was a struggle at the time, I would not change my path because it taught me so many valuable life skills that have made me who I am today. I come from a long line of educators, am passionate about education and would be honored to serve on the Board of FCE if I am selected.