David I. Cleland is Professor Emeritus in the School of Engineering, University of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania. He is a Fellow of the Project Management Institute and has received PMI's Distinguished Contribution to Project Management Award three times. He is often described as the "Father of Project Management" and has been honored through the establishment of the annual David I. Cleland Excellence in Project Management Literature Award sponsored by PMI. He is the author or editor of thirty-six books in the fields of project and engineering management. His current research interests are in the evolution of project management and the strategic context of projects in the management of enterprises.

William R. King is the editor of Project Management Handbook, 2nd Edition, published by Wiley.