CFR Welcomes Steven Bennett as Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer

The Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) welcomes Steven Bennett as executive vice president and chief administrative officer, where he will work on strategic, financial, and management issues. Bennett joins CFR on March 21.

Bennett has broad experience in providing direction and oversight in nonprofits and academia and brings a deep expertise in managing complex organizations in a number of operational areas, including strategic planning, IT oversight, budgetary and facilities oversight, diversity and inclusion initiatives, and mechanisms for institutional responsiveness.

He comes to the Council from Syracuse University, where he has served as senior vice president for international programs and academic operations since 2017. From 2009 to 2017, Bennett served as vice president and chief operating officer at the Brookings Institution.

CFR President Michael Froman said, “I’m delighted to welcome Steve to the Council. His expertise will be invaluable as we look to continue to strengthen CFR’s operations and maximize its impact.”

Prior to his career at Brookings, Bennett served as executive director for several nongovernmental organizations working at the intersection of trade and development, including the Global Fairness Initiative, an international leadership effort to advance innovative models of economic engagement in impoverished countries, and Witness for Peace, an international human rights and economic justice advocacy organization.

Bennett earned a bachelor’s degree in history from Colgate University and a master’s degree in public policy from Georgetown University.