Derek Benz

Derek Benz is the senior vice president and chief information security officer of The Coca-Cola Company, a role he has held since joining the company in January 2020. He is responsible for executing the vision, strategy and implementation of the company's global cybersecurity function, working closely with senior management and key system stakeholders.

Career path

Before Coca-Cola, Benz served as chief information security officer at Ford Motor Co., where he led the global cybersecurity organization, including product cybersecurity work to help secure the company's vehicle lines. Earlier in his career he held similar cybersecurity leadership roles at Honeywell and BP. At Honeywell he held the title of chief security officer, a role in which he spoke at IDG's The Security Standard conference in September 2012 on The Future of the CyberSecurity Organization.

Benz joined The Coca-Cola Company as chief information security officer in January 2020. In May 2024, Coca-Cola's board elected Benz senior vice president, and he continued in his existing role as chief information security officer. Coca-Cola's leadership materials describe him as having more than 27 years of experience in the cybersecurity industry, while an earlier company announcement put the figure at nearly 30 years.

Education

Benz is a graduate of Hillsdale College in Michigan and holds an MBA from Columbia University in New York.

Recognition

In 2026, Benz was named to the CSO Hall of Fame, an honor from CSO Online that recognizes leaders who have significantly contributed to the practice of information risk management and security; he was listed in the announcement as CISO of Coca-Cola alongside honorees from companies including Microsoft, Cigna, Boston Consulting Group, BlackBerry, SAP, CVS Health, Gartner and Delta Air Lines.