Derek Bengtson
Executive Director, Finance
Derek Bengtson joined the Chicago Council on Global Affairs as executive director of finance in 2025, where he leads the organization’s financial strategy, planning, and operations to support its mission. Before joining the Council, he served as senior vice president of finance at Starcom Worldwide, overseeing corporate finance for the media company. Bengtson brings more than two decades of financial leadership experience across the communications, consulting, and advertising industries, including roles at Discovery USA, Capital H Group, and Leo Burnett Worldwide. He earned a Bachelor of Science in accounting from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and is a certified public accountant (inactive).