Executives in Residence

The Notre Dame Deloitte Center for Ethical Leadership engages professionals who connect directly with our faculty, students, and partners by serving as Executives in Residence. For more information or to connect with these partners, contact us.

Cathy David considers herself a global cultural anthropologist and a lifelong learner. Her professional occupation (not to be confused with who she is) is President of Merchandising at World Market. She is a proud graduate of ND’s class of ’85, a member of Notre Dame’s Undergraduate Experience Advisory Council, and a member of the Hesburgh Women of Impact Executive Committee. She was a Fellow in the second cohort of Notre Dame’s Inspired Leadership Initiative.

Cathy has also managed a flower shop, founded a sports league, owned a restaurant, served as an umpire, raised and raced thoroughbred horses, worked for a winery, led the launch of target.com, held the position of President at a public company, served on a number of non profit boards, and earned an MBA from Kellogg in International Business, Marketing, and Organizational Behavior. She has a passion for leadership and strategy, and is fascinated by words and ideas.

Cathy loves to laugh, read, and travel. Her memoir will be titled “Perpetually Packing.” She is an aspiring early riser and still believes in writing letters and postcards and thank you notes. She believes in Grace Before Meals and Toasts Before Cocktails (GBMTBC) as an everyday awareness of taking time to be grateful when you spend time with people who are important to you. Originally from (and always a proud native of) New York, she has lived in eight states (some of them multiple times). Today she works in California, and her home base is in Texas.

Lee Wilson has aimed for ethical leadership throughout his four-decade career in consulting and financial services. He was a partner at Booz Allen and an Executive Vice President at Chase and AXA/Equitable Life. He finished his business career as Chairman and CEO of First Capital, a national non-bank lender where he built a billion dollar Asset Based Lending business. He has wrestled with ethical issues as an executive, merger manager and leader during COVID.

Lee is a summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa graduate of DePauw University with a B.A. in economics. He earned an M.B.A. with first year honors from Harvard Business School. He has been an adjunct professor at Columbia Business School. Lee served for a decade as a Trustee of DePauw University where he was Chair of the Development and Alumni Relations Committee.

Wilson is the author of an award-winning biography, Women’s Crusader: The Untold Story of Catharine Beecher which was published in 2025.

In 2008 he climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro. He lives with his wife Deb on Sanibel Island in Florida and spends his summers in Greenwich, CT where they raised their three children. He is a regular visitor to South Bend to spend time with family.