Deloitte and Tennis Legend Billie Jean King Partner to Develop Future Female Executive Leaders

Deloitte and Tennis Legend Billie Jean King Partner to Develop Future Female Executive Leaders

2026-09-02 companies

New York, Wednesday, 2 September 2026.
Deloitte partnered with Billie Jean King to expand female corporate leadership pipelines through sports, leveraging an ecosystem where 94% of women C-suite executives are former athletes.

Deloitte and Tennis Legend Billie Jean King Partner to Develop Future Female Executive Leaders

Professional services firm Deloitte announced a strategic partnership with tennis legend Billie Jean King on September 1, 2026, to leverage the commercial growth of women’s athletics for corporate leadership development [1]. The collaboration was unveiled at the Power of Women’s Sports Summit in New York City, aiming to create pipeline initiatives for future female executives and encourage institutional capital allocation toward women’s sports [1][8]. This initiative positions sports investments as an imperative driver for executive talent development and corporate strategy, reflecting a broader trend where 94% of women in C-suite positions participated in sports during their youth [4].

Leadership Pipelines and Economic Impact

The partnership seeks to address the correlation between athletic participation and career advancement, utilizing data that shows women who played sports are 50% more likely to hold leadership roles compared to non-athletes [4]. A 2023 Deloitte survey indicated that 85% of women who played sports identified those skills as vital to career success, a figure that rises to 91% for women already in leadership roles [1]. By integrating leadership training and mentorship programs, the project seeks to formalize support systems that facilitate career growth and organizational development within the athletic industry and beyond [6].

Despite commercial growth, structural disparities remain, such as the decline in women coaching women’s teams from 90% in 1972 to approximately 41% today [1]. Additionally, research indicates that only about 6% of sports science research has focused on female athletes, highlighting a critical area for the partnership’s planned infrastructure transformation [1]. Investment interest is surging alongside these needs, exemplified by the women’s basketball league Unrivaled, which reached a $650 million valuation following a Series C funding round announced on August 27, 2026 [4].

Strategic Implementation and Timeline

Deloitte and Billie Jean King Enterprises will roll out initiatives over the coming year, spanning from September 1, 2026, to August 31, 2027 [1]. The plans target three primary areas: leadership development, business infrastructure and growth, and sports science performance insights [1]. This timeline aligns with the Billie Jean King Cup organization’s announcement on August 31, 2026, to significantly back and evolve the Future Ready initiative [5].

Sources


Corporate Leadership Women's Sports