Part 8 of 10
In honor of Black History Month, NCACPA would like to celebrate the diverse individuals who contributed to the success of the accounting profession and the association. Please join us in recognizing these trailblazers through a 10-part series of posts being published throughout February.
By D. Scott Showalter, CPA, CGMA, CGFM, Immediate Past Chair, NCACPA Board
The individuals highlighted in this series of posts represent minorities and have all made significant contributions to the accounting profession during their careers despite the many challenges they faced.
I’ll introduce everyone by asking a question that describes their respective contribution. I apologize in advance for any factual inaccuracies in this article. While researching, I ran across conflicting dates and proofs, settling on the facts that seem best supported. Either way, I don’t think it distracts from their significant accomplishments.
Who was the first woman CEO of a Big 4 firm? The year was 2015 and the Big 4 firm was Deloitte. This individual graduated from LeHigh University in 1986, where she majored in accounting and played on the basketball and lacrosse teams. She was captain of the basketball team as a walk-on player. Upon graduation, she joined Deloitte and was elected to the partnership in 1998. Prior to becoming the CEO of Deloitte, she was the chairwoman and CEO of the audit subsidiary, Deloitte & Touche LLP, national managing partner, deputy national professional practice director, and financial accounting and reporting services quality risk manager. In October 2017, this individual became the first female board chair of Catalyst, a nonprofit focused on advancing women in the workplace. In 2019, she was the second highest (15th overall) rated woman CEO by Glassdoor Employees’ Choice Awards. Upon retirement from Deloitte, she was named the first Commissioner of the Women’s National Basketball Association effective June 17, 2019. Who is she? Her name is Cathy Engelbert.