Daalder to Step Down as President and CEO of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs
November 1, 2024 — The Chicago Council on Global Affairs announced today that after almost 12 years at the helm of the organization, Ivo Daalder will step down as president and chief executive officer of the Council in 2025. A search for his successor is underway with the assistance of Russell Reynolds Associates.
“Ivo and his global connections raised the Council’s profile nationally and globally. He led the Council through a period of significant transformation and pushed the organization to experiment and innovate,” said John Ettelson, Council board chair. “We’re grateful for his time at the Council. I’m confident the next leader of the Council will position the organization to succeed and continue to evolve in this rapidly changing world.”
Daalder joined the organization in 2013 after serving as US ambassador to NATO under President Barack Obama. Under Daalder’s leadership, the Council opened its own conference center in 2016, enabling it to live stream all its public events and expand its digital audiences in Chicago and beyond. The Council also established the Lester Crown Center on US Foreign Policy with a $10 million gift from the Crown Family in 2018, concluded a successful fundraising campaign that raised an additional $15 million, and celebrated its centennial anniversary in 2022 with an event featuring President Barack Obama and renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma.
“It has been a great honor to serve as the Council’s president and CEO since 2013,” Daalder said. “I’m proud of what we have been able to accomplish as an organization for the city, the nation, and the world. I am confident that the Council will continue to thrive under new leadership in its second century.”
About the Council
Founded in 1922, the Chicago Council on Global Affairs is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization committed to expanding public knowledge of and engagement in global affairs.
Since its founding, the Council has put Chicago audiences at the center of important conversations with global leaders, influencers, and changemakers. It continues to foster public dialogue and explore diverse, fact-based perspectives on critical global issues through public programming and events.
Throughout its history, the Council has prioritized informing, inspiring, and involving the next generation in shaping our world. Its Emerging Leaders Program, established in 2010, identifies and supports Chicago’s rising civic and corporate leaders as they move into global leadership roles.
The Council also amplifies a wider range of voices on US foreign policy through public opinion research. For 50 years, the Council has tracked trends in Americans’ views on global affairs and influenced public debates to advance effective policymaking.
Learn more at globalaffairs.org.
