Cynthia “Cyn” Marshall, CEO of the Dallas Mavericks, was appointed by owner Mark Cuban in 2018. She recently became the first Black woman to hold the position of CEO of an NBA team.
Marshall admitted to Time that she had no idea the position even existed. When Mark Cuban contacted to offer her the position, she actually had no idea who he was.
She reacted to his request after receiving that unexpected call from the Dallas Mavericks owner and laid out a 100-day plan to manage and revitalize the business. She acknowledged that it was challenging to learn and integrate with everything because there were certain norms that had been set that she had to adjust, and that the season was also in progress. She wanted to diversify the team and make some leadership changes.
With the assistance of people like her boss, coworkers, people in the leagues, and others, she was eventually able to understand the basketball business. She used her experience in managing people to disrupt the current quo.
The CEO of the Dallas Mavericks, however, hinted that she was picked to get cancer when she battled stage 3 colon cancer at age 51.She told PBS that when she received her cancer diagnosis in 2010, she thought it was all a hoax. Marshall’s mother informed her that she had been diagnosed with cancer and that it was for God’s glory. Years later, she is still cancer-free because she stood by her religion and her mother’s.
Marshall and her husband, Kenneth Marshall, now have four adult children after experiencing numerous miscarriages.
She spent 36 years at AT&T before to taking the helm as CEO of the Dallas Mavericks. She was under pressure from several female supervisors as she rose up the corporate ladder, who suggested that she change both her name and appearance in order to succeed.
After letting their opinions and words affect her for years, she made the decision to embrace her individuality.
Marshall and her parents relocated to the projects area of California as children, leaving Birmingham. She remembers her mother constantly emphasizing education. She came in fourth place and has six siblings. Her mother often reminded them that what really counted was how they lived, not where they lived. Also constantly telling them to “get their lesson,” was her father.
According to Stanford Business, she was awarded five full scholarships to the colleges of her choosing, and she decided on Berkeley due to its close proximity to her house.
Marshall shared that she would like to be remembered as someone who left things better than she found them. Apart from her appointment at Dallas Mavericks, Marshall also founded Marshalling Resources, a consulting firm that specializes in Diversity and Inclusion, Culture Transformation, and overall optimization of people resources according to NJCW.
She is also an author, her book, “You’ve Been Chosen: Thriving through the Unexpected,” is a memoir that gives in-depth knowledge about her life’s journey, and even covers how she coped as a CEO of the Dallas Mavericks.
Marshall graduated from the University of California-Berkeley with degrees in HR Management and Business Administration. She has received four honorary doctorates as well.
She has served as the chair for numerous nonprofit organizations, and she currently holds that position on the boards of Dallas CASA, the Dallas Regional Chamber, Texas 2036, the T.D. Jakes Foundation, Pro Sports Assemble, Executive Leadership Council (ELC), and the International Women’s Forum. She has also served as the chair for numerous other nonprofit organizations.
Cynthia “Cynt” Marshall has been mentioned in numerous publications and won a number of accolades, including HR Executive of the Year, The Network Journal’s 25 Most Influential Women in Business, The Women of Power Legacy Award, and Adweek’s 30 Most Powerful Women in Sports.Marshall received the 2020 Black & White Ball Vision Award from Texas Advocacy Project.