Catherine M. Engelbert (born November 14, 1964) is an American businesswoman who has been the commissioner of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) since 2019. Before joining the WNBA, she had been with Deloitte for 33 years, including as its first female CEO from 2015 to 2019.
Early life and education
Engelbert grew up in Collingswood, New Jersey, with five brothers and two sisters. She attended Collingswood High School.[1] She was inducted into the Collingswood Athletic Hall of Fame in 1993.[2] Her father was an IT manager, and her mother a medical practice administrator.[3] Engelbert graduated from Lehigh University in 1986, with a degree in accounting. At Lehigh, she tried out for the basketball team as a walk-on under Hall of Fame coach Muffet McGraw, and later became a team captain.[4] She also played lacrosse, and became a captain of that team as well.[3] After graduation, she received her CPA certification and became a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.[5][6]
Career
Engelbert joined Deloitte in 1986 and worked with the company until retiring in 2019. She joined the WNBA later in 2019.[7] In an interview, she credited Deloitte's early focus on supporting women in the workplace as being important for her career.[8]
Prior to being appointed the CEO of Deloitte in March 2015, she was the chairman and CEO of the audit subsidiary, Deloitte & Touche LLP.[9][10]
Other senior positions Engelbert held at Deloitte include: national managing partner - regions for Deloitte & Touche; deputy national professional practice director; and financial accounting and reporting services quality risk manager. She was named a partner in 1998.[11]
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert in the crowd at the Barclays Center, being greeted by NY Liberty Mascot Ellie the Elephant during a game between the NY Liberty and the Las Vegas Aces
On May 15, 2019, she was named the first commissioner of the WNBA (previous WNBA leaders had been titled "president"). Engelbert officially assumed her new role on July 17, 2019.[12] Engelbert has been focused on growing the league, correcting pain points for players and teams, building on corporate partnerships, and getting set for the next phase of negotiations for the WNBA's media rights. She has presided over a storied expansion for the league, adding a new team in the Golden State Valkyries, one in Toronto and Portland with more planned for the future and growing revenue and reach across the board.[13][14]
On becoming CEO for Deloitte, this rendered Engelbert the first female U.S. CEO of a Big Four firm.[15] News media outlets, including The Wall Street Journal highlighted Engelbert's appointment as cracking the "glass ceiling."[9] While serving as Deloitte's CEO, the company's revenue has increased nearly 30% cumulatively year to ~ $20 billion.[16]
