ABOUT THE AUTHORS

John Cioffi is the owner of GoalMakers, Inc., a firm whose mission is “To coach our clients to define and accomplish their goals.” John received his first business education growing up in his family’s restaurant and lodging business, where he learned customer relations and management at an early age. He then held management positions in firms whose work included toxicological evaluations, economic cost-benefit analysis, industrial hygiene, laboratory analysis, and environmental cleanup, and he went on to run a subsidiary of a Fortune 100 company. He has been an executive business coach and a mergers and acquisitions intermediary for nearly 20 years, assisting business owners across the country in creating, and in selling, their successful businesses.

John has written business articles for numerous publications and given seminars and speeches around the country on business planning, mergers and acquisitions, and financial management. He received his undergraduate degree from Colby College, a Masters Degree from Dartmouth, and an MBA from The Wharton School. He lives in the rural environs of Seattle with his wife, Amy, and their llamas, goats, and dogs. He enjoys playing soccer and tennis, hiking, and photography.

Ken Willig, was a high-energy businessman, entrepreneur, author, management consultant and coach of America’s CEOs. He founded GoalMakers Management Consultants (now GoalMakers, Inc.). He also founded, directed, developed and sold numerous successful businesses. He was a successful entrepreneur throughout his career, starting with the founding of a heavy construction equipment company at age 28 in Los Angeles, and its subsequent sale to Clark Equipment. Ken founded two banks in Southern California, and he and the famous actor, John Wayne, founded the John Wayne Tennis Club in Newport Beach. Ken is the only person that Wayne ever allowed to use his name on a commercial venture. Ken was also President and Headmaster of a K through 12 Christian School. He was on the ground floor of the cellular phone business and in 1987 won national recognition as the Entrepreneur of the Year for his achievements in founding, developing and growing a national chain of cellular telecommunication retail centers. Subsequently, he developed and directed the MBA Entrepreneurship program at City University in Seattle.

Ken attended Purdue University where he earned a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering. He is survived by his wife, Noreen, who lives in Scottsdale, AZ when she is not visiting with her six children and 13 grandchildren.