Lisa Sanders
Creator & Host of Netflix's Diagnosis | New York Times Magazine 'Diagnosis' Columnist | Medical Director, Yale Long COVID Care Center | Inspiration for House M.D.
Cynthia Marshall
First Black Female CEO in NBA History | Former CEO, Dallas Mavericks | Retired AT&T SVP & CDO | Author, You've Been Chosen
Cynthia "Cynt" Marshall made history as the first Black woman to serve as CEO of an NBA franchise, transforming the Dallas Mavericks into the league's standard for inclusion. A 36-year AT&T veteran, cancer survivor, and bestselling author, she shows leaders how values-based culture drives extraordinary business results.
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Cynthia Marshall biography
Cynthia “Cynt” Marshall is one of the most trailblazing executives in American sports and business — a leader who has spent her career proving that culture is not a soft priority but the most powerful driver of organizational performance. Raised in Richmond, California, she earned degrees in Business Administration and Human Resources Management from the University of California, Berkeley, before building a 36-year career at AT&T that took her from entry-level positions to Senior Vice President of Human Resources and Chief Diversity Officer. In that role, she led the initiative that placed AT&T on Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For list for the first time — one of only two Fortune 50 companies to achieve that distinction in the same year.
Leadership speaker Cynthia Marshall became a historic figure in professional sports in 2018 when Mark Cuban hired her as CEO of the Dallas Mavericks, making her the first Black woman ever to hold the CEO role at an NBA franchise. She inherited an organization in crisis, facing serious allegations of workplace misconduct, and within her first 100 days had implemented a sweeping culture transformation built on transparency, accountability, and values-based leadership. Over her tenure, the Mavericks were honored twice with the NBA’s Inclusion Leadership Award, women came to comprise half of the organization’s leadership team, and she oversaw $30 million in upgrades to American Airlines Center. She retired from the role at the end of 2024.
Beyond the Mavericks: Author, Advocate, and Consultant
Away from basketball, Marshall is President and CEO of Marshalling Resources Consulting, her firm specializing in leadership development, culture transformation, and people strategy. She is also a published author — her debut book You’ve Been Chosen, released in 2022, was nominated for an NAACP Image Award and draws on her own extraordinary personal journey, including a battle with colon cancer that she faced publicly and with characteristic candor. She holds four honorary doctorate degrees and serves on multiple corporate and nonprofit boards, including as chair of the Dallas Regional Chamber.
Her accolades span decades: Forbes named her one of the world’s most inspiring female leaders, Black Enterprise has repeatedly recognized her among the 50 Most Powerful Women in Corporate America, and she has received the Women of Power Legacy Award, the Girl Scouts of America Lifetime Achievement Award, and the 2024 Junior Achievement Dallas Business Hall of Fame Laureate Award, among many others.
As a leadership speaker, Cynt Marshall commands the room with a rare combination of wit, warmth, and hard-won wisdom. Her talks deliver practical frameworks for culture transformation, inclusion as a business strategy, leading through crisis, and resilience in the face of personal and professional adversity. Senior audiences — from CEOs to HR leaders to diversity champions — leave with both inspiration and a clear playbook for creating organizations where people perform at their best.
Cynthia Marshall Speaking Videos
Cynthia Marshall - Leading with Heart
Cynt Marshall - How owning your authentic self
Cynthia Marshall Keynote Topics
When Cynt Marshall arrived at the Dallas Mavericks in 2018, she had 100 days to transform a fractured organization into one the NBA would hold up as a model. She did it. This keynote takes audiences behind the scenes of one of the most dramatic turnarounds in professional sports, sharing the specific framework she used to rebuild trust, install accountability, and shift culture at every level of the organization. Leaders walk away with a practical, replicable model for culture change that applies far beyond basketball.
After three decades driving diversity and inclusion at AT&T and six years reshaping the NBA's most high-profile franchise, Cynt Marshall has a clear message: organizations that treat inclusion as a compliance exercise leave performance on the table. This keynote makes the business case for genuine inclusion — with data, real stories, and the hard lessons learned from building diverse leadership teams in some of America's most demanding environments. Designed for senior leaders who want to move beyond policy and create organizations where every person can contribute at their highest level.
Drawing directly from her acclaimed book, this keynote is Cynt Marshall at her most personal — weaving together her journey from a childhood in Richmond, California, to the C-suite, through a cancer diagnosis, and into the history books. She challenges audiences to reframe adversity not as something happening to them, but as something chosen for them — and to find in their hardest moments the clarity, purpose, and resilience to lead more powerfully. Consistently one of the highest-rated keynotes at conferences across industries.
Crisis reveals character — and few executives have led through as public a crucible as Cynt Marshall. This session explores what values-based leadership actually looks like when the stakes are highest: how to make decisions under pressure, communicate with transparency during difficult moments, and build the kind of trust that sustains an organization through change. Rich with specific, actionable lessons drawn from her career at AT&T and the Mavericks, it is essential viewing for any leader who knows the hard moments are coming and wants to be ready.
Speaker topics
FAQs on Booking Cynthia Marshall
Why Cynthia Marshall?
Booking Cynthia "Cynt" Marshall means bringing one of the most compelling leadership stories in American business to your stage. She is not just a speaker with a résumé — she is a proven culture transformer who walked into one of the most high-profile organizational crises in sports history and rebuilt it from the inside out. Her story spans a 36-year career at AT&T, a historic tenure as the NBA's first Black female CEO, a public battle with cancer, and a bestselling book that has resonated with audiences worldwide. Cynt speaks with extraordinary authenticity, energy, and practical depth on leadership, inclusion, resilience, and culture — and she consistently earns some of the highest audience ratings of any executive speaker. Aurum Speakers Bureau will handle every detail of the booking process to make the experience seamless for your organization.
Who is Cynthia "Cynt" Marshall?
Cynthia Marshall, known as "Cynt," is a Dallas-based executive and speaker who made history in 2018 as the first Black woman appointed CEO of an NBA team when she took the helm of the Dallas Mavericks. Before that landmark appointment, she had spent 36 years at AT&T, rising to Senior Vice President of Human Resources and Chief Diversity Officer. During her time with the Mavericks, she led a full-scale culture transformation and the franchise received the NBA's Inclusion Leadership Award twice. She retired from the role at the end of 2024 and now leads her consulting firm, Marshalling Resources, while speaking globally on leadership and inclusion.
What is Cynt Marshall's book about?
You've Been Chosen, published in 2022 and nominated for an NAACP Image Award, is Cynt Marshall's deeply personal account of navigating life's unexpected challenges — from growing up in poverty in Richmond, California, to leading a Fortune 50 human resources function, to her diagnosis with colon cancer, to becoming the most prominent Black female executive in professional sports. The book delivers a powerful message: that the hardships we face are not obstacles to our purpose but the very path toward it. It has become a widely read resource for leaders navigating adversity, change, and the need to find meaning in difficult moments.
What topics does leadership speaker Cynthia Marshall cover?
Cynt Marshall speaks on culture transformation and how to build high-performing, inclusive organizations; values-based leadership and leading with authenticity; diversity, equity, and inclusion as drivers of business results; resilience and thriving through adversity; and lessons from her historic tenure at the Dallas Mavericks. Her sessions are particularly powerful for HR and people leadership conferences, DEI summits, women in leadership events, and senior executive forums. For bookings and availability, contact Aurum Speakers Bureau.
How to book Cynthia Marshall as a keynote speaker?
Aurum Speakers Bureau can help you book Cynthia Marshall as a speaker for your next event, conference, or board meeting. Simply fill out our contact form to inquire about Cynthia Marshall's availability for a speaking engagement. One of our booking agents will respond to your request immediately and contact the speaker to let them know you want to hire them. We will assist you with obtaining speaking fees, booking information, and confirming availability for Cynthia Marshall or any other top keynote speaker or celebrity of your choice.
How much is Cynthia Marshall speaking fee?
Cynthia Marshall speaking fees are determined by several factors, including the event's date, whether it's a virtual or in-person event, the duration, format, preparation required for their speech, and more. The same applies to the cost to hire any other top expert speakers and celebrities. The Speaker Fee Range listed on our website is simply a guideline and is subject to change without notice. If you would like to hire Cynthia Marshall to deliver a keynote speech for your event, please fill out the contact form or email us at info@aurumbureau.com with as much detail as possible. One of our experienced agents will get in touch with you and let you know exactly how much it will cost to book Cynthia Marshall.
How can I contact Cynthia Marshall?
We only work with Cynthia Marshall on paid speaking engagements. Aurum Speakers Bureau can assist you in booking Cynthia Marshall and will handle all negotiations, contracts, and logistics associated with having Cynthia Marshall speak at your event. We will be your sole point of contact throughout the process. Get in touch with Aurum Speakers Bureau today, and we will reach out to any motivational speaker or celebrity you want to enquire about speaking at your event. If you wish to contact Cynthia Marshall for any other reason, we will be unable to assist you as we are not authorized to provide personal contact information.
Can I book Cynthia Marshall for a virtual keynote?
Yes, Cynthia Marshall is available for virtual keynotes and webinars. To book Cynthia Marshall for a virtual event, please complete the contact form or send us an email to inquire about the special fees for virtual engagements.
