Cathy Engelbert, current CEO of Deloitte and the first woman ever to lead a Big Four professional services firm in the U.S, has been appointed Commissioner of the WNBA.

She will join the WNBA on July 17 and report to Silver, once her four-year term as CEO with Deloitte concludes.

The WNBA’s 23rd season tips off on May 24. 

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said “Cathy is a world-class business leader with a deep connection to women’s basketball, which makes her the ideal person to lead the WNBA into its next phase of growth.”

“The WNBA will benefit significantly from her more than 30 years of business and operational experience including revenue generation, sharp entrepreneurial instincts and proven management abilities.”   

Engelbert was elected CEO by Deloitte’s partners in 2015, where she led one of the largest professional services organizations in the U.S. with more than 100,000 professionals. 

Over the course of her tenure, she has led a large transformation across the business by moving the firm towards emerging technologies such as AI, blockchain, robotics and cloud, including securing ecosystem partnerships with large technology companies, and executing digital acquisitions. 

During her tenure, revenues grew over 30%, and Engelbert drove a people-first agenda, including implementing a holistic well-being culture through programs like Deloitte’s 16-week family leave policy.

“It is an absolute privilege to be joining the WNBA at such an exciting and important time in its history,” said Engelbert. “I see tremendous opportunity to bolster visibility for the sport of women’s basketball, empower the players, and enhance fan engagement. I look forward to using my business expertise and passion for basketball to promote women in the game and beyond, and to working with the teams and world-class athletes to help grow this league into a thriving business.”

The sponsorship market is established, growing and multifunctional with new opportunities being created and new audiences reached, but evaluation remains a key challenge.

This year’s MKTG Frontier report, conducted in association with Think! Sponsorship and the European Sponsorship Association, found only 19% of respondents confident they can measure return on investment.

This figure is unchanged year on year suggesting an urgent need for the industry to develop key metrics and prove business return.

The report, based on a survey of over 300 sponsorship professionals worldwide, revealed that 50% of respondents are expecting to see growth in sponsorship this year, particularly in new areas such as women’s sport.

The research also revealed that two thirds of respondents believe brands are now considering sponsorship as an essential part of marketing mix, with 90% of respondents believing it works best when combined with other marketing channels and three quarters of brands demanding exclusive digital and social content as part of the sponsorship package.

Some key findings:

• over 50% of respondents agreed women’s sport is growing, and 70% have seen an increase in media coverage of women’s sport.
• 80% agree that streaming and OTT channels are changing the way sport is consumed
• 72% want access to money can’t buy experiences.
• 75% of brands want exclusive social and digital content.
• 84% of audiences are demanding experiences rather than things and 85% agree online communities are widening the reach and connection with fans
• only 19% are confident they can measure return on investment, while only 11% are confident they can prove value of talent IP to a brand.

Sandra Greer, Insight Director at MKTG commented: “Sponsorship is sophisticated, multi-functional and continuing to grow. We are seeing an increase in the combination of different platforms, with sponsorship working best when utilised within the overall advertising mix.  It is catering for an experience-hungry audience and there is a rising call from brands for exclusive and tailored content as part of their sponsorship agreement.”

The Dutch Grand Prix returns to the FIA Formula 1 World Championship from 2020, it was announced today.

An agreement has been signed between Formula 1 and Dutch Grand Prix – a partnership formed by SportVibes, TIG Sports and the Circuit Zandvoort – and will run for at least three years.

Heineken, one of the longstanding Global Partners of Formula 1, will be the Title Sponsor of the event.

Reuters reports:

F1 is set to make the most of Max Verstappen’s popularity with the return of the Dutch event at Zandvoort after an absence of 35 years.

Red Bull driver Verstappen, 21, is the most successful Dutch driver ever as well as Formula One’s youngest race winner and draws many thousands of orange-shirted fans to grands prix around Europe.

He is third overall in the championship after finishing third at the Circuit de Catalunya with plenty of supporters in attendance.

“I think a Dutch Grand Prix, with the popularity of Verstappen, is going to be immense. I think that’s positive for Formula One,” Red Bull boss Christian Horner told reporters.

Zandvoort last hosted a Grand Prix in 1985 after making its first appearance on the calendar in 1952.

The race deal is the second, after Vietnam, negotiated by U.S.-based Liberty Media since taking over the sport in 2017 and ousting former commercial supremo Bernie Ecclestone.

The French Grand Prix at the southern Le Castellet circuit returned in 2018 after a 10-year absence but that deal was done by Ecclestone. Vietnam is due to make its debut next year with a street race in Hanoi.

Zandvoort, on the North Sea coast, looks likely to have an early May slot when the 2020 calendar is published later in the year and could replace Spain as the start of the traditional European season.

“It’s a really narrow track. I’ve been there only once but it’s really challenging on the driving side. So, I think to put some F1 cars there will be pretty cool and exciting,” said Verstappen’s French team mate Pierre Gasly.

Williams driver George Russell said Zandvoort was a favourite.

“I just truly hope we don’t get rid of the gravel runoffs in the two high-speed corners because that’s what makes the circuit so daunting and so incredible to drive,” said the Briton, last year’s Formula Two champion.

The future of Spain’s race remains uncertain, with the Circuit de Catalunya out of contract at the end of this year.