William F. Reilly, 70, founder of Summit Business Media, passedaway on Friday, October 17, after a year-long battle withcancer.

Reilly enjoyed a long and fruitful career in business media. Inone of the first private-equity backed ventures in media, backed bythe firm of Kohlberg Kravis Roberts ("KKR"), Reilly guidedPRIMEDIA's inception, launch, and growth from zero to a $1.7billion company in both consumer and B2B media over a 10-yearperiod. After leaving PRIMEDIA in 1999, he acquired theCincinnati-based company F&W, subsequently acquired Krause,then sold this special-interest consumer magazine and educationcompany in 2005.

In 2006, as chairman and CEO, Reilly founded Summit BusinessMedia, with the backing of Wind Point Partners in Chicago, andsubsequently acquired the platform companies Highline Media andPfingsten Publishing. Since that time the company also has acquiredJudy Diamond Associates, Agent Media, Wicks Business Media, AUSOnline and Wiesner Financial Media. Summit Business Media is theparent of the National Underwriter Co. and Tech Decisionsmagazine.