Cathy Li is the Assistant Vice President and Deputy Chief of Staff at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority in New York, where she focuses on improving planning and delivery of the MTA’s $55 billion capital program, integrating innovation and technology into transit systems, and advancing diversity in contracting. At the MTA, she spearheads efforts to modernize fare control technology to transform fare payment across the subway system. She sits on the AI Policy working group and leads on digital transformation around capital delivery.

Cathy’s experience spans urban planning, policy, and public service. Before joining the MTA, she helped establish the Inclusive Cities practice at HR&A Advisors, advising cities across the world on equitable economic development, green infrastructure, and urban policy. She was formerly a Senior Economist at Arup’s London offices, where she led strategic planning for large-scale transportation and infrastructure projects across the U.K., such as London’s Stratford Station.

Cathy holds a Master in Public Policy with Distinction from the Blavatnik School of Government at the University of Oxford, and a Bachelor of Arts with Honors in Urban Studies and Economics from Columbia University.