Cathy Engelbert is an American business executive and the first Commissioner of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA).
Before joining the WNBA, she had been with Deloitte for 33 years. Engelbert was elected CEO by Deloitte’s partners in 2015, where she led one of the largest professional services organizations in the U.S. with more than 100,000 professionals. Over the course of her tenure, she has led a large transformation across the business by moving the firm towards emerging technologies such as AI, blockchain, robotics and cloud, including securing ecosystem partnerships with large technology companies, and executing digital acquisitions. During her tenure, revenues grew over 30%, and Engelbert drove a people-first agenda, including implementing a holistic well-being culture through programs like Deloitte’s 16-week family leave policy.
Engelbert received a BS in accounting from Lehigh University and is a certified public accountant licensed in Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey. During her time at Lehigh, Engelbert was a member of the university’s basketball and lacrosse teams and served as a senior captain for both teams. On the court, she played for former Lehigh coach and Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer Muffet McGraw.
As a strong supporter of diversity and inclusion, Engelbert is the first woman to serve as chair of the Catalyst Board, a global non-profit organization that promotes inclusive workplaces for women, and also was the first woman chair of the Center for Audit Quality Governing Board. Engelbert has been listed as one of Fortune’s Most Powerful Women for the last four years. She is ranked on Glassdoor’s annual Employees’ Choice Awards honoring the 100 Highest-Rated CEOs, and among Crain’s 50 Most Powerful Women in New York. Engelbert has also been recognized as one of Working Mother magazine’s 50 Most Powerful Moms and one of Fast Company magazine’s Most Productive People.
