Perspectives
People
Heather McBride Leef
Managing Director | DEI Institute | Deloitte Services LP
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 of 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.
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.