Craig Steffen

Chief Executive Officer FEI Systems

Last Reviewed: September 26, 2026

Executive Summary

Craig Steffen is Chief Executive Officer of FEI Systems, a Columbia, Maryland company that builds case-management and health information technology for federal, state and local health and human services agencies. He arrived as an outsider brought in to solve a succession question: founder Dr. Jiao Gu engaged him as a board member and strategic advisor in February 2023, the two designed the handover together, and Steffen became CEO on 1 May 2023 as Gu moved to the chair. He came with about three and a half decades in public and private benefits management, including running Zenith American Solutions, one of the country’s largest third-party administrators.

Career Highlights

• Chief Executive Officer of FEI Systems since 1 May 2023, promoted from the board.
• Joined FEI’s board as a member and strategic advisor in February 2023 and co-led the company’s succession planning with its founder.
• Previously CEO of Zenith American Solutions, a large third-party benefits administrator.
• Managing Director of Health Enterprise Operations at Xerox State Healthcare, now part of Conduent.
• Founder and managing member of Adaptive Project Solutions, an IT integration and project management firm working on Medicaid, health and human services and Department of Education contracts.
• Holds Bachelor of Science degrees in Marketing and Decision Sciences/Computer Statistical Modeling from Miami University.

Professional Journey

Steffen is from Ohio and studied at Miami University, graduating with Bachelor of Science degrees in marketing and in decision sciences with a focus on computer statistical modelling. His career since has sat where benefits administration meets technology, on both the public and private side.

He was a founder and managing member of Adaptive Project Solutions, an IT integration and project management company whose work was concentrated in Medicaid and in federal contracts for health and human services and the Department of Education. He was Managing Director of Health Enterprise Operations for Xerox State Healthcare, the government healthcare services business now under Conduent, and served as chief information officer of a legal electronic data interchange technology firm. Most recently before FEI he was chief executive of Zenith American Solutions, which FEI describes as one of the nation’s largest third-party administrators.

FEI Systems was built by Dr. Jiao Gu, who led it as chief executive for more than twenty years and grew it from a small IT firm into a provider of technology for agencies across Health and Human Services, Defense and Veterans Affairs. In 2022 Gu began planning his succession, and in February 2023 he brought Steffen onto the board as a member and strategic advisor. The two developed the transition plan together. FEI announced on 9 May 2023 that Steffen had been promoted to Chief Executive Officer, effective 1 May, with Gu becoming executive chairman.

FEI’s core product line is the Blue Compass suite, which covers case management for long-term services and supports, behavioural health case management and provider management for state agencies, alongside government work on laboratory information systems, electronic medical record platforms and disease monitoring. Under Steffen the company has continued to build out its behavioural health work: in February 2025 it brought in Dr. David Gastfriend, an addiction psychiatrist, as an executive strategic advisor, with Steffen quoted in the announcement as CEO.

Education

Miami University

Bachelor of Science, Marketing; Decision Sciences/Computer Statistical Modeling