Leadership from Business 

In early 2008, Scripps Director Tony Haymet announced that Scripps was “open for business,” by creating the Scripps Office of Business Development directed by Stephen Bennett. Steve is also  Executive Director of the Scripps Partnership for Hazards and Environmental Applied Research (SPHEAR). Steve joined Scripps directly from a large multi-strategy hedge fund where he worked with teams of investors focused on the insurance and commodities sectors. 

Steve’s first language is science—having spent the majority of his career coupling atmospheric science and meteorology with media and financial applications. His second language is business—having served as a manager and director in two multi-billion-dollar financial firms after his early career working as a weather consultant. In addition to his educational foundation in meteorology, Steve also holds a law degree with a specialized knowledge in leadership, management, intellectual property, securities, and corporate law.

Prior to joining Scripps, Steve served six years at Citadel Investment Group in Chicago. He was asked to join Citadel as part of a seven-person team that built and launched Citadel's Global Energy Trading business. Steve worked in multiple roles from quantitative research (supply/demand fundamentals), to managing Citadel's Weather Research desk, to his final position as Citadel's Director of Reinsurance Research. Previously, he'd spent nearly two years at the Enron Corporation in the research division supporting natural gas trading. Steve spent the first half of his career working for a variety of consulting companies and media outlets including The Weather Channel, WeatherData Inc. and Weather Services Corporation.

Steve finished his undergraduate meteorology degree in 1995 and graduated Magna Cum Laude from the John Marshall Law School in 2008.  He is licensed by the Illinois Bar Association and is a member of the American Meteorological Society currently serving on the AMS Energy Committee.  Steve has also been an active student of continuing education courses at UC San Diego and continuing legal education at the University of San Diego School of Law. 

“My goal is to enlist partners from within the private sector to help Scripps bridge scientific research and business application.”  

For more information about Stephen Bennett, visit his LinkedIn profile.