Dr. Ackoff (1919 to 2009) was the author or co-author of nineteen books on leadership and management, including Redesigning the Future, The Art of Problem Solving, Creating the Corporate Future, Revitalizing Western Economies, Management in Small Doses, Ackoff's Fables, and The Democratic Corporation.

Dr. Russell Ackoff was the Chairman of the Board of INTERACT, The Institute for Interactive Management. He was Anheuser-Busch Professor Emeritus of Management Science, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. He was a former Anheuser-Busch Visiting Professor of Marketing, Olis School of Business, Washington University, St. Louis. He was a member and former Chairman of the Social Systems Sciences Department at The Busch Center, which specializes in systems planning, research, and design.