New Board Member: Scott Bennett
I am honored to join the UICA Board of Directors and to have the opportunity to pay forward the gift of education that has been a cornerstone of my family’s life. My passion for supporting academic excellence is rooted in a family comprised of many educators, whose dedication to the profession I have seen firsthand. Our connection to the University of Iowa is truly a family affair; both of my parents are Hawkeye graduates—with my father’s path made possible by a Maytag scholarship—and that tradition continued with my spouse Karin, two of my brothers, and my own undergraduate and graduate degrees from the Tippie College of Business.
As a lifelong Iowan, my commitment to our state remains a constant. Having retired from Principal Asset Management in 2025 after 37 years as an investment professional, I am enjoying the opportunity to dedicate more of my energy to the community. I enjoy serving on various non-profit boards as well as a “hands-on” volunteer for the Ronald McDonald House, LifeServe Blood Center of Iowa, and Junior Achievement. I enjoy traveling, reading, listening to podcasts, and staying physically active. I look forward to getting to know each of you, learning from you, and working together to advance the university's mission through our collective time, talents, and treasures.
Scott Bennett brings more than three decades of investment expertise and a deep-seated commitment to Iowa’s educational landscape to the UICA Board of Directors. Scott recently retired from a distinguished career at Principal Asset Management, where he served as a Portfolio Manager. In this role, he oversaw approximately $50 billion in fixed income assets, specializing in public and private credit, municipal, and emerging market debt. His leadership at Principal included serving as Vice-Chair of the Fixed Income Securities Committee and as a member of the Fixed Income Leader’s Group.
A double graduate of the Tippie College of Business, Scott earned his BBA in Finance in 1986 and his MBA in Finance in 1988. During his time on campus, he was an active member of the Delta Sigma Pi business fraternity. His dedication to his alma mater has continued throughout his career, having served on the Tippie College of Business Finance Advisory Council from 2016 to 2022 and multiple class and student club presentations.
Scott’s philanthropic impact extends across the state of Iowa. He is a past president of the Des Moines Area Community College Foundation Board and has held numerous leadership roles within the Rotary Club of Des Moines, including chairing the Mentor/New Members and Local Scholarship committees. Scott also served on the board of the CFA Society of Iowa including as its President. He is also a dedicated "hands-on" volunteer for organizations such as the Ronald McDonald House, LifeServe Blood Center of Iowa, and Junior Achievement.
A lifelong Iowan and graduate of Ankeny High School, Scott believes firmly that education is a form of paying it forward—a value instilled in him by his parents, who both graduated from the University of Iowa. Outside of his professional and volunteer commitments, Scott is an avid non-fiction reader and traveler who enjoys fitness and learning from podcasts. Scott is married to Karin Bennett (87 BA) and the father of Jacob & Ellen Bennett.
