Morgan Cato
About Morgan Cato
Morgan Cato is the Associate Vice President of Business Operations, League Operations at the NBA, with a career spanning various roles in HR and business operations.
Title and Current Role
Morgan Cato serves as the Associate Vice President - Business Operations, League Operations at the National Basketball Association (NBA). She has been in this role since 2020. Cato is based in New York, New York, United States, where she contributes to the strategic and operational functions within the NBA's league operations.
Professional Experience at NBA
Morgan Cato has held multiple positions at the NBA. Prior to her current role, she was the Senior Director - Business Operations, League Operations from 2019 to 2020. From 2017 to 2018, she served as the Director, Business Operations - League Operations in the Greater New York City Area. Her earlier roles include Senior Manager, Early Career Development, HR from 2014 to 2016, and Manager, Recruiting and College Relations from 2013 to 2014.
Previous Positions
Before joining the NBA, Morgan Cato worked at Ernst & Young as a Supervising Associate, Campus Recruiter from 2010 to 2013. She was also the HR Manager at Comunilife, Inc. from 2008 to 2010, a Recruiter at Lehman Brothers (Barclays Capital) from 2007 to 2008, and the Human Resources Manager at the Developmental Disabilities Institute from 2005 to 2007. Cato started her career as an Employee Relations Assistant at Stony Brook University Career Center from 2004 to 2005.
Educational Background
Morgan Cato attended Harvard Business School Executive Education where she completed the Program for Leadership Development from 2020 to 2021. She also studied at The Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth and participated in the WISE Executive Leadership Institute. She holds a Master of Professional Studies in Human Resource Management and a Bachelor of Science in Business Management from Stony Brook University, having completed these degrees between 2000 and 2005.
Key Contributions and Initiatives
Morgan Cato has made significant contributions within the NBA. She played a key role in the launch and strategy of the Basketball Africa League, aiming to expand the NBA's presence in Africa. She was instrumental in expanding NBA Elite Basketball Academies across various continents including Latin America, Africa, India, China, and Australia. Cato is a sponsor and key driver of the NBA Coaches Equality Initiative & Summit, supporting diversity and inclusion. Additionally, she has been actively involved in the 'Respect for The Game' and 'Future of the Game' initiatives and leads the Referee Development Program. Cato also contributed to the innovation of the Replay Center 2.0, enhancing officiating capabilities.