Steven G. Hillestad'trained at the University of Wisconsin (Madison) in both business and public administration. He led marketing efforts at the Fairview System in Minneapolis in the late 1970s, when the first edition of Health Care Market Strategy was published.' Until 1998 he led marketing, strategy, acquisitions, and business-development efforts at Abbott Northwestern Hospital, LifeSpan, and Allina Health System, all located in Minneapolis. He has been active in professional organizations and has published frequently. He teaches part-time at the University of Minnesota, co-owns an upscale lodge on the shores of Lake Superior, and provides consultation to organizations involved in health care delivery. Currently, he is working with not-for-profit boards to help them improve performance so that they can achieve their vision. He resides in Minneapolis and Beaver Bay, Minnesota.