G. Richard Hastings was named Saint Luke's Health System's Chief Executive Officer in 1996, after serving as chief operating officer and chief executive officer of Saint Luke's Hospital and in executive officer roles with the Saint Luke's Health System. Hastings began at Saint Luke's Hospital as an administrative resident in 1977. He served in the United States Air Force in numerous operational positions and received a Bronze Star for service in Southeast Asia.

Hastings is a preceptor for the University of Minnesota's Health Care Administration Program. Hastings holds a master's degree in business administration from Chapman University in Orange, Calif., and a master's degree in hospital and health care administration from the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Oklahoma in Norman.