Cynthia Vitters is a Managing Director in Deloitte & Touche LLP’s Advisory practice, and leads Deloitte’s Government & Public Services Enterprise Risk Management practice. In this role, she and her team support clients across the federal, state and local governments as well as higher education institutions, helping them to identify, interpret, and prepare for risks that can impact business as usual as well as lead, navigate, and disrupt to turn potential threats to opportunities. Cynthia is a subject matter expert in the field of enterprise risk management, a recognized thought leader, author and frequent public speaker on the topic.
Prior to joining Deloitte, Cynthia spent 22 years working for the federal government. Cynthia most recently served as the Chief Risk Officer (CRO) for the U.S. Department of Education’s (ED) Office of Federal Student Aid (FSA). She was responsible for overseeing and managing all aspects of risk for the organization including the 1.3 trillion dollar outstanding loan portfolio. She also served in various roles within ED’s Office of Inspector General and Chief Financial Office. In addition to her experience with the Department of Education, she also served a Senior Advisor on Enterprise Risk Management for the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB). In this role, she provided technical expertise and guidance on federal enterprise risk management issues. She was responsible for the finalization of the Enterprise Risk Management section of OMB Circular A-123, “Management’s Responsibility for Enterprise Risk Management and Internal Controls.” Additionally, she led the effort to develop, publish and socialize the “Enterprise Risk Management Playbook.”
Cynthia holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Government and Music / Piano Performance from Franklin & Marshall College, a Master of Business Administration degree in Accounting from Georgia State University. Additionally, she is a graduate of the Senior Executive Fellows Program at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. She is a founding member of the Association of Federal Enterprise Risk Managers (AFERM), past Vice President and Corporate Advisory Council Chair. She is a member of the Risk Management Society (RIMS), University Risk Management & Insurance Association (URMIA), and Senior Executive Association (SEA).