Li Li Leung, a vice president of the N.B.A., was named president and chief executive of U.S.A. Gymnastics on Tuesday, taking the helm of a federation in chaos in the wake of a sexual-abuse scandal.

Leung, 45, has worked at the N.B.A. since 2015, and was most recently its vice president for global partnerships. She said she had actively sought the gymnastics position out of a “personal calling,” having participated in the sport from the age of 7 and having represented the United States at the Junior Pan-Am Games and the University of Michigan in the N.C.A.A. Championships.

“It breaks my heart to see the state that the sport is in today, and that is why I stepped forward,” Leung said on a telephone conference call for which reporters were required to submit questions beforehand. “I believe I can create positive change in the organization and the sport and give gymnasts what they do actually deserve.”

Leung said her priorities were for U.S.A. Gymnastics to reach a “fair and equitable” resolution of lawsuits filed by victims of sexual abuse committed by Lawrence G. Nassar, a former team doctor; embarking on a listening tour and speaking with victims face to face instead of through lawyers; and creating an athlete-driven federation “where safety is central to everything we do.”