5 Things You Should Know About Cathy Engelbert

Cathy Engelbert has joined the McDonald’s Board of Directors.  Take time to get to know Cathy and her vision for McDonald’s with these five facts about her life and career:

1. She was the first woman to become CEO of a Big Four professional services firm. Cathy was voted CEO of Deloitte in 2015 and recently completed her four-year term after 33 years with the firm. Cathy led Deloitte through a significant period of transformation, including moving the firm towards emerging technologies, growing revenue over 30%, and driving a people-first agenda.

2. She’s passionate about increasing diversity in C-suites and boardrooms. “We need to move from novelty to norm when it comes to women being appointed to Boards or C-suite positions,” she told Forbes in early 2018. Cathy has made noteworthy strides in this regard: She has served both as the first woman chair of the Center for Audit Quality Governing Board, as well as the first woman chair of global nonprofit organization Catalyst Board, which advocates for inclusive workplaces for women. Naturally, Cathy is eager to lend her experience to continue to drive towards a more inclusive and diverse future for McDonald’s.  “I am encouraged by McDonald’s Global Gender Balance and Diversity Strategy and its commitment to increasing the representation of women throughout the business – from the crew room to the board room.”

3. Her career is award-winning. Cathy 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 Most Powerful Women in the World. She’s also a wife, sister and mom of two with “a black belt in scheduling,” TIME Magazine notes. 

4. She loves sports (and she’s good at them, too). Cathy served as captain of the women’s basketball and lacrosse teams during her time as an undergraduate at Division I school, Lehigh University. Her father also was a star basketball player and was drafted by the Detroit Pistons in 1957.

5. She's now the first-ever  WNBA Commissioner. Cathy joined the Women’s National Basketball Association as Commissioner in July 2019. Upon her appointment, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver noted: “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.” All critical elements Cathy will no doubt bring to her work on the McDonald’s board as well. We’re confident Cathy will make a great addition to McDonald’s Board of Directors.