George Halvorson was born in January 1947 in Fargo, North Dakota, and raised nearby in Minnesota. He attended Concordia College while working as a local journalist. After graduating, he eventually made his way to Minneapolis, where he took a junior position at Blue Cross of Minnesota. He rose quickly in that organization, first building a new marketing program and then establishing a new managed care-based insurance product. He left Blue Cross after being denied the position of president but within a few years was hired to lead the Group Health Plan of Minnesota, one of the nation's founding health maintenance organizations. He facilitated a merger with MedCenters to form HealthPartners, and served as that organization's CEO until 2002. In 2002 he was hired as President, CEO, and Chairman of the Board for Kaiser Foundation Health Plan and Hospitals. He served in that role until his retirement in 2013. In this interview, Halvorson discusses the rise and transformation, successes and challenges of health maintenance organizations in the United States. He details his agenda as leader of Kaiser Permanente, with particular focus on developing a robust electronic medical record, improving quality, establishing good relations with the Permanente Medical Groups, and building a diverse and effective leadership team. He also discusses his thoughts on and roles in health care reform, public health initiatives internationally, and his lifelong interest in improving intergroup relations.