Biography

In July of 2019, Cathy Engelbert was named the first-ever Commissioner of the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA), and is charged with bolstering visibility for the sport of women’s basketball, empowering the WNBA players, and enhancing fan engagement. Cathy retired as the CEO of Deloitte in June of 2019, after 33 years with the firm.

Elected as Deloitte CEO in 2015, she was the first woman CEO in the history of a Big Four professional services firm. As CEO of Deloitte, Cathy led the largest accounting and consulting organization in the United States with more than 100,000 professionals. Since Cathy stepped into the role of WNBA Commissioner, she has:

  • Executed a historic player-first Collective Bargaining Agreement in 2020 which tripled the pay of top players and provided an array of progressive benefits
  • Built and socialized a new economic framework to drive league revenue growth and stakeholder success
  • Stood up a sports-leading, player-led, league facilitated WNBA Social Justice Council, with pillars around Health Inequity with a focus on communities of color, and civic engagement, with a focus on voting rights
  • Led the longest tenured women’s professional sports league in the U.S. through its 25th anniversary season and through the COVID-19 pandemic over her two seasons at the helm.

In 2021, Engelbert was listed on the Forbes’ ‘50 Over 50’ list and Adweek’s ’40 Women to Watch’, an achievement that coincided with the WNBA’s regular season viewership rising over 63% as the league gained more momentum in its 25th season than ever before.

Cathy is a member of the Board of Directors of McDonald’s Corporation and Royalty Pharma, is Vice Chair of the Partnership for New York City, and in 2021, was elected to the USGA Executive Committee. She also serves as a member of the Business Council, and previously served as a member of the Business Roundtable, where she served on the Education & Workforce and Immigration committees.

Cathy has served as the first woman chair of the Center for Audit Quality Governing Board and, as a strong supporter of diversity and inclusion, as the first woman chair of the Catalyst Board, a global non-profit organization that promotes inclusive workplaces for women. She was a founding member of the CEO Action for Diversity and Inclusion, and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. She had also been listed as one of Fortune’s Most Powerful Women for four consecutive years, and wasranked on Glassdoor’s annual Employees’ Choice Awards honoring the 100 Highest Rated CEOs, and one of Fast Company magazine’s Most Productive People.

Cathy received a Bachelor of Science degree in Business and Economics (Accounting) from Lehigh University. She has two children—earning her the recognition as one of Working Mother magazine’s 50 Most Powerful Moms for three years.

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Reviews & Ratings

Waldo Waldman
Waldo Waldman
May 19, 2024
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I’ve been Speaking professionally for 21 years and work with the largest agencies in the world. I’m a Hall of Fame keynote speaker and a New York Times best selling Author. I have can honestly say in full confidence that Seth Dechtman and his team at Keynote Curator is the best agency I have been honored to work with. I’ve witnessed Seth’s client focused relationship skills On multiple occasions. His clients love him and he’s detail oriented and has great communication skillls. But most importantly, I’ve been on the receiving side of his servant, focused leadership style. He treats me like a valued partner and emulates everything a wingman is.
David Allison
David Allison
May 17, 2024
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Seth and the Keynote Curators team are tenacious and determined to do right by their clients and their speakers. I appreciate our relationship so much, and highly reccomend this group to anyone looking to book a speaker for an event.
Meir Statman
Meir Statman
May 10, 2024
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It is wonderful to join Seth in helping people reflect on their financial and life well-being and enhance them.
Trevor Wilde
Trevor Wilde
April 24, 2024
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This was an amazing experience. the Keynote Speaker we had was perfect for our event and will definitely be having another for our next one!
Sandro Forte
Sandro Forte
March 22, 2024
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Brilliantly hosted, with great content. An absolute ‘must add’ to any podcast list!
Jon VanDeventer
Jon VanDeventer
November 18, 2023
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I've been working with Seth at The Keynote Curators for over 3 years. I always look forward to our meetings because of both his professional expertise and his enjoyable, engaging personality. We have fun during our virtual meetings while developing innovative strategies and accomplishing goals. It's obvious from working with Seth over a number of years that he is always making event planning and booking services an easy process and providing responsiveness that sets him apart. He's an excellent partner who gets invested in your business and collaborates through every step of a process that can sometimes feel overwhelming.
Jason Galaska
Jason Galaska
November 7, 2023
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Seth and his team were fantastic to work with in 2023 and we look forward to working with Keynote Curators to find potential speaker matches for our events in the future. Thank you, Seth, for your professionalism!
Hailey Wilson
Hailey Wilson
October 23, 2023
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A Treasure Trove for Anyone Involved in Speaker Selection! As someone deeply involved in the intersection of marketing and technology at AImpact, I find the process of selecting the right keynote speaker to be a critical part of any successful event. Seth Dechtman's "The Keynote Curators" podcast is nothing short of a godsend for anyone facing the challenges and opportunities that come with this task. Seth brings an almost poetic understanding to the power of words, acknowledging that a speech isn't just a scheduled event but a transformative experience that can change the dynamics of an entire room. His enthusiasm for the craft is contagious, making each episode a joy to listen to.
Nicole
Nicole
September 14, 2023
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Seth is super knowledgeable about the needs of meeting planners to have a successful event and partners with you to find just that right fit!
Duncan Sigurdsson
Duncan Sigurdsson
August 28, 2023
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HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! Working with Seth Dechtman and The Keynote Curators is always true partnership. In the three plus years that we have been involved in various projects, I can tell you that they always deliver. We have done some really cool stuff together. Any meeting professional, conference planner or event producer will greatly benefit from partnering with The Keynote Curators. High praise to Seth and his team.

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Blog Posts

 

Stop Stressing! Find Your Perfect Stress Management Style

✨ Eliz Greene addresses the complexities of stress management, highlighting the importance of recognizing and...

Read More

Why Do People Get Harley-Davidson Tattoos? Building Unwavering Brand Loyalty

🏍️ In a world where brand loyalty can seem fleeting, Ken Schmidt, former Director of...

Read More

Achieving 3 Daily Wins: Leadership Lessons with Lt. Col. Waldo Waldman

🎧 Tune in my conversation with Lt. Col. Waldo Waldman to become the person that...

Read More

Train Like You Fight: How To Take Pride in Your Preparation

How to handle unexpected challenges during high-stakes situations? Mistakes can be costly, but meticulous preparation...

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Honoring Memorial Day and Inspirational Veteran Speakers

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MPI’s World Education Congress (WEC) in Louisville, KY

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