Heather McBride Leef

Heather is the managing director leading Deloitte’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Institute. Heather has a long-standing passion for equity and belonging and is committed to the collaboration and collective actions necessary to advance successful DEI efforts in the workforce, marketplace, and society.

With more than 25 years of experience driving innovative strategic initiatives at Deloitte, Heather most recently served as a senior leader and executive coach with Deloitte’s Chief Executive Program, working closely with CEOs in a wide range of industries and DEI-focused organizations, helping them achieve their aspirations. Prior to the Chief Executive Program, Heather led Deloitte’s office of the CEO, serving as the chief of staff for Deloitte’s first woman CEO, Cathy Engelbert. As a strategic advisor to advance the CEO’s priorities, she collaborated with senior leaders across Deloitte and in external organizations. In that role, she contributed to the launch of Deloitte’s industry-leading family leave program, providing up to 16 weeks of paid leave.

Heather received a BSBA with an accounting major from Bucknell University in Lewisburg, PA, and is a member of the AICPA and the Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants. She received her Executive Coaching Certification from Columbia University and attended Rutgers University’s Senior Leadership Program for Professional Women. Heather is an Associate Certified Coach from the International Coaching Federation (ICF). In 2023, she received NABA INC’s prestigious Ally and Advocate of the Year President's Award for her “outstanding leadership, unwavering dedication, and exceptional work ethic in championing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) to create a more just world," and was named to The Top Women Leaders of New Jersey for 2023 and 2024 by Women We Admire.

She and her husband Jon reside in Basking Ridge, NJ and have two sons.

Thought leadership Heather has authored includes Mental Health Starts at the Top and Uncovering culture, The power of “I” in equity, and most recently, Flipping the script.