OK, we don’t know if that’s actually true, or if Cathy Engelbert even likes McDonald’s signature “two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun” sandwich, but the former Deloitte CEO and current commissioner of the WNBA is the newest director on Mickey D’s board.
The Golden Arches announced today:
McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE: MCD) announced today that business executive Catherine M. Engelbert was elected to the company’s Board of Directors, effective December 6, 2019.
Engelbert, 55, currently serves as the first-ever Commissioner for the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA), where she is responsible for setting the vision for the WNBA and overseeing the day-to-day business and basketball operations. As Commissioner, Engelbert’s role has focused on bolstering visibility for the WNBA, empowering players, and growing the league’s business.
Prior to joining the WNBA in July 2019, Engelbert had a distinguished career at Deloitte, most recently as the Chief Executive Officer from 2015 to 2019. In this role, Engelbert became the first woman ever to lead a Big Four professional services firm in the U.S., overseeing more than 100,000 employees.
“Cathy is an exceptional leader with a track record of guiding organizations to strength and success,” said Enrique Hernandez, Jr., McDonald’s Chairman of the Board. “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.”
“Cathy is a leader who has challenged convention to deliver tangible change,” said Chris Kempczinski, McDonald’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “I am inspired by her people-first approach to business and looking forward to benefiting from her entrepreneurial thinking across our global organization.”
“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. “I’m proud to be joining the Board now at this important time, and I look forward to contributing to its global impact.”
This is the first public company board gig for Engelbert, who in March 2015 became the first woman CEO of a Big 4 firm in the U.S. She currently serves on the board for Catalyst, a global nonprofit that works to accelerate women into leadership, and she also serves on the board of Partnership for NYC and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.
Engelbert is the latest recently departed Big 4 CEO who has joined a board. In August, Mark Weinberger, whose last day as global chairman and CEO of EY was June 30, brought his perfectly trimmed goatee and tanned face to MetLife as a director.
