Women We Admire is pleased to announce The Top 50 Women Chief Administrative Officers of 2025. As a key executive, the Chief Administrative Officer plays a vital role in overseeing the day-to-day administrative operations of an organization. They are leaders within multiple departments, often including HR, IT, and accounting, as well as employee compliance. These leaders are strategic, analytical, and collaborative.
In her current role, Anita provides executive leadership and oversight of the department’s administrative, financial, and operational functions. She collaborates closely with the Chair, faculty, and institutional leadership to advance the department’s mission in clinical care, research, and education. She is instrumental in strategic planning and resource allocation, ensuring the department’s long-term sustainability and growth. Mesi has been pivotal in fostering a culture of collaboration and efficiency, spearheading initiatives to enhance operational effectiveness, streamline workflows, and optimize financial performance.
Anita earned her Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Hunter College and her Master of Business Administration in Finance and Investments and Organizational Behavior-Human Resource Management from the Zicklin School of Business, Baruch College. Since joining Weill Cornell Medicine in 2002, while pursuing her undergraduate studies at Hunter College, she has held various positions in the Departments of Biochemistry, Population Health Sciences (formerly the Department of Public Health), and Medicine.
In her most recent role, as the Division Administrator for General Internal Medicine in the Department of Medicine, she played a key role in building the research infrastructure and overseeing the expansion of several clinical, educational, and academic programs. Her deep understanding of complex academic environments, coupled with her expertise in strategic planning, process improvement, budgeting, negotiations, financial and operations management, and relationship-building, led her to join the Department of Pediatrics as Chief Administrative Officer in June 2021.
Over time, she built a distinguished career as an academic administrator. With a commitment to excellence and innovation, Anita continues to drive initiatives that align with the evolving needs of academic medicine, ensuring the Department of Pediatrics remains at the forefront of pediatric healthcare and discovery.