Dia Simms

Dia Simms started her career working for the Department of Defense. Seeking a more entrepreneurial path, she then ran a marketing company called Madison Marketing that focused on on-premise and off-premise spirits promotions in the Maryland/D.C. corridor. After moving back to New York, she excelled in sales in the advertising and pharmaceutical industries.

Simms began working for Sean "Diddy" Combs as his executive assistant in 2005 and grew within the company while building multiple brands and businesses under the Combs Enterprises umbrella. Credited for turning Bad Boy Records into Combs Enterprises, she achieved success overseeing the portfolio of brands under the Combs empire, including spirits, fashion, fragrance, content, and the Capital Preparatory Schools. She transformed CÎROC Ultra-Premium Vodka from unprofitable to a $2 billion retail value brand. Named president of Combs Enterprises in 2017 (the first president in the company’s history), Simms oversees over a billion dollars of brand value. She brings her relentless commitment to excellence and her unparalleled track record as a strategist, value creator, and brand builder to the leadership team.

Listed as one of the most powerful executives in the industry by Billboard in 2017 and 2018, Simms also made the Ebony Power 100 list, and was an honoree at the Matrix Awards from New York Women in Communications in April 0f 2018. She was also named to the 2018 Ad Age Women to Watch list and Variety’s Power of Women New York Impact List. She serves on the board for Capital Prep and the Thread Organization, which provides underprivileged high school students with resources to help foster their academic advancement and personal growth. She often speaks on the importance of diverse leadership and building brand value at an accelerated pace.

Simms received a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Morgan State University and a master’s degree in management with a concentration in contract management from the Florida Institute of Technology. She commutes between Combs Enterprises in New York City and Los Angeles to her home in Maryland, where she resides with her husband, daughter, and dog.