Alison Coughlin is a Director of Research and Product Development at CME Group. In this role, she designs new commodity derivatives, as well as maintains CME Group’s benchmark agricultural products.

Previously, Alison served the U.S. government in two capacities – as an International Trade Analyst for the U.S. International Trade Commission, where she both led and contributed to several studies on global agricultural trade and competitiveness, and later as a Director with the Office of the United States Trade Representative, where she participated in negotiations on trade agreements.

Alison graduated with a BS in International, Resource, and Consumer Economics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and with a Master of Public Policy degree from the University of Chicago.