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McDonald's names 1st female WNBA commissioner to its board

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December 9, 2019

A major proponent of increasing women's presence in the C-suite, recent Deloitte president and CEO and WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert was named today to the board of the McDonald's Corporation. The 55-year-old executive is the Women's National Basketball Association's first female commissioner, where she sets the vision for the organization and oversees daily business and basketball operations, a news release said.

At Deloitte, Engelbert was  also the first female to lead the company and a Big Four professional services firm in the U.S., where she served in the CEO's role from 2015 to 2019, overseeing more than 100,000 employees.

"Cathy is an exceptional leader with a track record of guiding organizations to strength and success," McDonald's Board Chair Enrique Hernandez, Jr., said in the release. "McDonald's will benefit from her fresh perspectives, strong operational experience, and broad financial expertise. Cathy's election also underscores our commitment to diversity at all levels, from the crew room to the board room."

McDonald's President and CEO Chris Kempczinski also applauded Engelbert's addition to the chain's governing body. 

"Cathy is a leader who has challenged convention to deliver tangible change," Kempczinski said in the release.  "I am inspired by her people-first approach to business and looking forward to benefiting from her entrepreneurial thinking across our global organization."

Engelbert serves on the board for the global nonprofit, Catalyst, which works to accelerate women into leadership. She also serves on the Board of Partnership for NYC and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. 

"McDonald's is a well-known and admired global brand with a rich legacy of modernizing itself to meet ever changing societal needs and expectations," Engelbert said in the release.  "I'm proud to be joining the board now at this important time, and I look forward to contributing to its global impact."

Engelbert received a bachelor's degree in accounting from Lehigh University and is a certified public accountant licensed in Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey.

One month ago, McDonald's former CEO Steve Easterbrook relinquished his position there after he admitted to having a consensual relationship with a co-worker, which is against company policies. The firm has also been the target of workers' complaints and lawsuits around its actions with respect to sexual harassment in the workplace.