Steven Finkler is professor emeritus at New York University's Wagner School. He served as director of the specialization in health care financial management at NYU Wagner for more than 20 years. An award-winning teacher and author, Finkler, a CPA, worked for Ernst and Young and was on the faculty of the Wharton School before joining NYU. He received a BS with joint majors in finance and accounting (summa cum laude) and MS in accounting (with highest honors) from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. His MA in economics and PhD in business administration were awarded by Stanford University.

Among his publications are 31 books, including Financial Management for Public, Health, and Not-for-Profit Organizations, 6th Edition (2019),  Accounting Fundamentals for Health Care Management, 3rd Edition  (2018), Finance and Accounting for Nonfinancial Managers, 5th Edition (2017), and Essentials of Cost Accounting for Health Care Organizations, 3rd Edition (2007), . He has published more than 200 articles in journals including the New England Journal of Medicine, Annals of Internal Medicine, Academic Medicine, Healthcare Financial Management and Health Services Research. He served on the editorial boards of Health Services Research, Health Care Management Review and Research in Healthcare Financial Management.

Finkler has served as a national advisory council member at the National Institutes of Health and is also a past member of the executive committee of the International Society for Research in Healthcare Financial Management. He was a member of the board of governors and treasurer of Daughters of Israel Geriatric Center. He has also taught executive education courses for the Association of American Medical Colleges and many health care provider organizations.