SEATTLE, Wash. – The Seattle Mariners President of Business Operations Catie Griggs announced today that Katherine Cheng, a seasoned social impact expert, has been hired as the club’s first Vice President, People & Culture and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI). Cheng will report directly to Lisa Winsby, Senior Vice President of People and Culture for the Mariners.
Prior to joining the team, Cheng spent nearly 11 years with Expedia Group as their Head of Global and Community Impact. Before joining Expedia, Cheng spent several years at Microsoft as a business manager and Starbucks as a senior program manager in public affairs and communications. She also worked as a public liaison officer for Gary Locke, the first Asian American governor in the continental United States.
In her new role as Vice President, People & Culture and DEI for the Mariners, Cheng will be responsible for seeking new, improved and innovative ways to cultivate the Seattle Mariners culture, lead internal and external DEI efforts, and more.
“I’m excited to join this incredible team and help amplify the best of its culture and people. This new role will allow us to enhance the ways we already engage with our employees and community and continue to unearth new growth opportunities for our organization,” said Cheng.
“We are thrilled to have Katherine join our team. Her experience in developing successful global programs, leading change to drive business initiatives and finding new ways to engage different audiences make Katherine the ideal candidate to take on this new role for our organization,” said Griggs.
Cheng is a two-time graduate of the University of Washington with a BS degree in American Ethnic Studies and Political Science and an MBA from the Michael G. Foster School of Business.