Cathy Engelbert is the first-ever Commissioner of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) — previous WNBA leaders had been titled “President.” Appointed in 2019 at the age of 54, Engelbert stepped into her position with high praise.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said, “Cathy is a world-class business leader with a deep connection to women’s basketball, which makes her the ideal person to lead the WNBA into its next phase of growth. The WNBA will benefit significantly from her more than 30 years of business and operational experience including revenue generation, sharp entrepreneurial instincts, and proven management abilities.”
As commissioner, Engelbert is charged with bolstering visibility for the sport of women’s basketball, empowering WNBA players, and enhancing fan engagement. During her tenure thus far, she has executed a historic player-first Collective Bargaining Agreement, built and socialized a new economic framework to drive league revenue and owner success, and led the league to a successful 2020 season through the COVID-19 pandemic.
Engelbert grew up in Collingswood, New Jersey, where she was inducted into the Collingswood Athletic Hall of Fame in 1993. While attending Lehigh University, she was captain of the women’s college basketball team under Naismith Hall of Fame coach Muffet McGraw. She was also captain of the lacrosse team. After graduating from Lehigh with a degree in accounting, she went on to receive her CPA certification and become a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.
Engelbert joined Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited, an international professional services network headquartered in London, England, in 1986. She spent the next 33 years with the company and held several senior positions, including national managing partner, deputy national professional practice director, and chairman and CEO of the firm’s audit subsidiary, Deloitte & Touche LLP. She was named a partner in 1998 and CEO in 2015, making her the first woman to lead a Big Four firm. She retired in 2019 before being appointed WNBA commissioner.
Engelbert has been recognized for her leadership through Fortune’s Most Powerful Women, Working Mother magazine’s 50 Most Powerful Moms, Fast Company’s Most Productive People, and CEO World magazine’s Most Powerful Women in the World. She also sits on the boards of McDonald's, Royalty Pharma, and the U.S. Golf Association. Engelbert is passionate about diversity and inclusion and has served both as the first woman chair of the Center for Audit Quality’s Governing Board and as the first woman chair of the global nonprofit organization Catalyst Board, which advocates for inclusive workplaces for women.