Stipe Zrilić was born in 1959. in Bruška village, where he has finished elementary school. He graduated on Gymnasium Juraj Baraković on 1977. in Zadar and received an academic degree on the Law Faculty within the Zagreb University in 1982. He has obtained the Law Master’s degree in 2001.
Previous work experience he spent as an office employee. His first job was in the Tax Administration Office, Zadar in 1985. After that since 1990 he has worked as Secretary of the Executive Council of Zadar municipality and later in the Ministry of Internal Affairs in the Office for National Security. He has worked in the Zadar County as head of Administrative department for administration and self-administration since 2002 and later in 2004 he was elected as deputy prefect. He became prefect of Zadar County on January, 30th 2008. After recent local election in Croatia, on June, 18th 2009, he was reelected for the Zadar County Prefect. He is also a Member of the Croatian Democratic Union and Matrix Croatica.

In his mandate, as the deputy prefect he was in charge of social activities and therefore it is important to emphasize his commitment around a series of rehabilitation and reconstruction of school buildings in the area of Zadar County, especially in the war-affected areas, and worked to improve the conditions of health care provided to County residents.

As amateur he deals with painting. Intensively in the last ten years, mostly in the technique of acrylic paint. The painting knowledge gained as self-study student. His work was exhibited in several group exhibitions (except in Croatia, took part in exhibitions and World Peace Art Exhibition in Tokyo), and held one-man exhibition in Zadar. He also participated in the work of several international art colonies which took place in Zadar County.

He is Croatian National War defence veteran who spent 49 months in service and owner of several medals for participation in the war in Croatia (Memorial of the National War, Medal for exceptional attempts, Medal Storm), married and lives in Zadar.