Henry Bienen is the current president of Northwestern University. He was elected president on June 13, 1994 and took office on January 1, 1995. He has announced his retirement effective August 31, 2009.

Bienen succeeded Arnold R. Weber as president of Northwestern. During President Bienen's tenure, Northwestern has undergone many changes. The average SAT score for entering freshmen has increased by more than 125 points, the total university budget has doubled to $1.4 billion, the university's endowment has more than tripled to approximately $7 billion and the amount of sponsored research done at Northwestern has doubled to more than $350 million annually. For the first time ever in 1997, Northwestern was listed by US News and World Report in the top ten universities for undergraduates. Northwestern has been ranked consistently in the top 10 or 15 U.S. universities by U.S. News and World report since he took office.

President Bienen's time at Northwestern has also been marked by sometimes difficult relations with Evanston, with one lawsuit against the city of Evanston reaching the US Supreme Court. Northwestern's relations with Evanston's mayor Lorraine H. Morton have been more positive than with other city councilmen.