WNBA Appoints CEO Engelbert as First Commissioner

Cathy Engelbert, who became the first woman to serve as Deloitte's CEO, has been named WNBA's new commissioner, it was announced on Wednesday.

Engelbert succeeds Lisa Borders, who resigned in October. She will be the fifth leader of the league, her title becoming chairman of the commission. A native of New Jersey, she spent 33 years at Deloitte, a global professional services company.

"I am very happy to do something that fascinates me a lot and bring a commercial purpose to the WNBA," Engelbert told SportsCenter. "These are world class athletes and women's basketball is booming.When we think of the engagement of fans, their experience, their player experience, these are all things that I will consider once I switch to this role. "

She was President and Chief Executive Officer of Deloitte's auditing subsidiary before starting a four-year term as CEO of Deloitte's US branch in 2015. Her mandate with the company does not officially end. that in June and she will start her work with the WNBA on July 17th.

"Cathy is a world-renowned business leader with close ties to women's basketball, making her the perfect fit to lead the WNBA in her next phase of growth," said the NBA commissioner. Adam Silver, in a statement. "The WNBA will benefit from over 30 years of experience in the field of business and operations, including revenue generation, a strong business instinct and proven management capabilities."

Engelbert played basketball and lacrosse in Lehigh, where he graduated in 1986. His basketball coach was Muffet McGraw, who left for Notre Dame in 1987.

"Cathy Engelbert is the perfect choice to lead the WNBA," McGraw said. "She has the perfect resume for the job: a gaming experience in Division I, and extraordinary success in American companies, she is smart, stable, confident, passionate about the game and respectful of everyone she has worked with."

Engelbert was ranked # 18 in Fortune Magazine's Most Powerful Women List for 2018. She was commended for her commitment to diversity and integration in the financial sector. She is a member of several charitable boards, besides being CEO of Catalyst, a global nonprofit organization whose mission is to "create workplaces accessible to women".

About 43% of the US workforce of more than 94,000 Deloitte employees are women.

Engelbert, who has a daughter and a son, also reportedly introduced Deloitte's 16-week family leave program in 2016, which provided support not only for new parents, but also for family members who were in a position of family. Caregiver.

"I'm not a big idiot, but I've pissed off some people" Engelbert informed Time in 2018 of this holiday program. "I said we were going to do it."

Engelbert will take charge of a 12-team league that begins its 23rd season on May 24 and is currently negotiating collective bargaining with the Players Union, which has decided not to join the deal last fall. Conditions are in place for this season, but an agreement must be reached before the start of the 2020 season.

Deloitte is one of the advisers to the Women's National Basketball Association, but Engelbert had no direct contact with the branch that worked with the union. WNBPA Executive Director Terri Jackson recently had the opportunity to meet Engelbert.

"We are encouraged by the fact that the league has selected a person with a multi-dimensional understanding of our game activities, with proven ability to generate real revenues and growth opportunities," said the WNBPA Executive Committee in a statement. communicated. "We would like to thank the league for honoring our request to give our union an opportunity to meet the final candidates.

"We look forward to working with Cathy and seeing a redefined commitment to policies that value and support the women and mothers who work in the league – the progressive thinking and values ​​that Cathy has demonstrated throughout her career. leave optimistic about the future. " as for WNBA players ".

The WNBA is not a totally unexpected detour for Engelbert, who grew up in a family of eight and coached his daughter's high school basketball team. During the interviews, she often spoke about her long-time love of the sport and how she learned to be an athlete in the business world.

"The skills that I learned very early in the sport – teamwork and competitiveness – associated with risk taking, guided my career and helped me in my career." adapt to changes and turning points of the course ", Engelbert told Forbes in February 2018. "I often use my sporting experience in business and I love giving people the means to raise their hand and build their abilities, basing themselves on the 39, the analogy that "we do not make shots that we do not take". "

The WNBA, launched in 1997, had Val Ackerman as the first president. She was followed by Donna Orender in 2005, then Laurel J. Richie (2011-15) and Borders (2016-18).

"Cathy will be an excellent collaborator and build bridges between all the major players in our game," McGraw said. "I am delighted that she represents women's basketball at the highest level."