A former Google executive – and Minnesota’s current economic development commissioner – will be the Star Tribune’s next publisher and CEO.

Steve Grove, a Northfield native who has led the state’s Department of Employment and Economic Development since 2019, was named Tuesday to the media company’s top post.

Grove, 45, will take over for Mike Klingensmith, who has led the company since 2010 and recently announced his retirement.

The new publisher will be expected to drive digital subscriptions and increase advertising as the Star Tribune faces a future with fewer print subscribers.

« I thought it was important to bring someone from the outside to look at things with a new view, » Glen Taylor, owner of the Star Tribune, said in an interview. « I concentrated a little bit more on our immediate needs, and that would be digital. »

Grove’s media experience has a digital focus; he was the founding director of Google News Lab and created YouTube’s first news and politics team.

« It was clear to me that Glen and Mike and the whole team know that a pretty significant transformation is needed so there is a long-term growth model that’s going to work, » Grove said. « You have to build a digital-first company if you want to survive in today’s ecosystem. »

Like other newspapers, the Star Tribune has seen print subscriptions and advertising revenue decline as more readers get their news online. Circulation among the top 50 metro newspapers dropped an average of 20% in 2022.

The Star Tribune has fared better than most, now selling more print single copies than any other U.S. metro newspaper; its Sunday circulation is the fourth-largest among metro papers. The company has about 100,000 digital subscribers.

Taylor said the company’s overall finances are « OK for the immediate future » as the new CEO takes the reins.

« Financially we’ve done probably better than I expected; we’re in a very difficult business, » Taylor said. « We’ve been fortunate to pay down our debt every year, run a paper and have the cash to keep moving ahead. »

Still, Grove said change will happen fast.

« I think the next 10 years are going to be a lot more disruptive than the last 10, and I will come at this from a perspective of excitement, thoughtfulness and a little bit of urgency, » he said. « The best days of the Star Tribune are in its future. »

Since implementing a paywall in 2011, Klingensmith said, the Star Tribune has just about as many digital subscribers as print subscribers.

« Now we have to accelerate that to have vastly more digital subscribers than print subscribers — more along the lines of a local equivalent of what the New York Times and Washington Post have been able to do nationally, » he said.

When Grove takes over in April, he’ll lead about 700 employees, 230 of whom work in the newsroom.

« If you asked an AI to draw up a resume for a Star Tribune publisher job, I don’t think they could do any better than Steve Grove, » Klingensmith said.

Taylor said 10 candidates were interviewed after a nationwide search, and Grove stood out as an enthusiastic leader who could inspire employees, readers and business leaders around the state.

Taylor said Grove will help the Star Tribune « change faster, get closer to our customers, try new things and take bigger risks. »

Grove’s record as a Democratic governor’s appointee could give some pause about the influence over the Star Tribune’s objectivity, just as Taylor’s affiliation as a Republican did when he bought the paper in 2014.

Asked about the potential backlash, Grove said his mission will be to carry on the Star Tribune’s commitment to accountability in government.

« That builds trust in our state, that builds trust in the system and ultimately leads to a more prosperous society and democracy, » he said.

Gov. Tim Walz applauded Grove’s time leading DEED during the pandemic and the racial reckoning after the murder of George Floyd. The governor pointed to Grove’s efforts in workforce development, childcare and increasing equity-based training and funding.

« Steve is a great pick, he has a good feel for the pulse of this state, and he loves Minnesota dearly, » Walz said. « We’re going to miss him, and we’re going to miss his vision. »

Grove and his wife, Mary, have 6-year-old twins. The couple started the nonprofit Silicon North Stars in 2013 to help underserved communities in Minnesota chart a career path in tech. More than 120 students have been served so far.

The Star Tribune, like many companies, has pledged to support diversity and equity goals by being more inclusive in its reporting and in its hiring. Grove said he intends to continue those efforts.

« As a white male leader of an agency, I’ve had to be an ally and not be nervous about talking to those who can teach me, » he said. « It’s hard to overstate how much diversity, equity and inclusion have been at the center of my work at DEED these last few years. »

Those efforts included quadrupling the amount of funding going to businesses led by people of color and increasing consultations for small-business owners.

Grove is a graduate of Claremont McKenna College in California and the Harvard Kennedy School. He was a reporter for the Boston Globe and ABC News before joining YouTube and later Google, where he led the tech giant’s civic engagement work.

At Google News Lab, Grove led a global team and launched media training efforts that reached more than 100,000 journalists.

« That all led to me deepening my concern and care for the industry, » he said.

The News Lab is part of the Google News Initiative, which aims to promote digital innovation and sustainable revenue models in the news industry through its research arm, fellowship programs and other collaborations.

The Star Tribune partnered with the Google News Initiative in 2019 to expand its News in Education program, providing access to Star Tribune products for more than 300 middle and high schools. The joint initiative studied news consumption among younger audiences and sought to increase engagement with trustworthy news sources.

The initiative also supported a Star Tribune video partnership with the Poynter Institute that focused on young audiences.

While his experience will help the Star Tribune’s ongoing digital transition, Grove said it will require much trial and error. His first priority will be to travel the state and learn from non-subscribers « why they don’t or why they might » subscribe.

« This isn’t a moment where someone who used to work at Google is going to sprinkle some digital pixie dust and fix everything, » he said. « We have to create something of enduring value. »