Directors' College 2023
Cathy Benko
Board Member, NIKE, Inc. and SolarWinds
Former Vice Chairman and Managing Principal, Deloitte LLP, Cathy is known as a strategist, innovative thinker and market cultivator with a pattern of being tapped for roles where breakthrough progress is needed. These strengths are evidenced throughout her career traversing senior operational appointments within Deloitte—a Fortune 100-equivalent professional services organization—and market- facing client service roles for global companies and digital giants alike.
Appointed Deloitte’s first Global e-Business Leader, Cathy positioned the firm’s services and capability development for the post-internet marketplace. She then took on the role of f Technology Sector Leader. Subsequently, as Deloitte’s first Chief Talent Officer, she oversaw the restructuring of talent-related delivery models and integration of the Firm’s largest acquisition. And as leader of the firm’s award-winning Women’s Initiative, Cathy led vanguard efforts that spurred innovations in diversity and inclusion, ultimately eliminating the gender turnover gap.
During this time, Deloitte became renowned for being among the first to design and implement a systemic response to the changing world of work. Her signature corporate lattice® framework is internationally recognized as a model for building careers, getting work done and fostering collaboration in the digital economy. Cathy then went on to lead brand, reputation, digital and citizenship functions, where she helped lay the groundwork for the profession-leading market position Deloitte enjoys today.
Cathy currently serves as a member of the board of NIKE, Inc., and has an exemplary record of nonprofit Board service. Recognizing her son’s conviction to serve in the U.S. military, she is engaged with Veterans causes and sits on the Board of American Corporate Partners. She chairs Harvard Business School’s (HBS) Advisory Council and is a member of its regional alumni Board. Cathy is a senior member on the advisory councils for Catalyst, ReBoot and the Federal Institute for Inclusion.
Cathy is a U.S. patent-holder and best-selling author of three books and numerous articles published in top tier publications. She has been frequently acknowledged for her professional achievements including Consulting Magazine’s “Frontline Leader,” “25 Most Influential Consultants” and the publication’s inaugural “Leadership Achievement Award” for Women Leaders, and was inducted into the San Francisco Business Times Forever Influential Honor Roll. Cathy earned an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School and a BS from Ramapo College of New Jersey where she was awarded the President’s Award of Merit, the School’s highest distinction.
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