Star Tribune Promotes Steve Yaeger to CMO/Senior Vice President of Circulation

Star Tribune Media Co., Minnesota’s largest media company, today announced it has promoted Steve Yaeger to chief marketing officer and senior vice president of circulation. In addition to retaining his responsibilities for all Star Tribune branding and public relations, Yaeger takes over circulation responsibilities previously overseen by Arden Dickey, who is retiring.

Since joining the Star Tribune in 2011, Yaeger has rebuilt the company’s marketing strategy and operations while updating and revitalizing the Star Tribune brand. He has steadily expanded his portfolio of responsibilities, including consumer research, subscription marketing, sponsorships and partnerships, and events. He also spearheaded efforts to celebrate milestones such as the company’s downtown relocation and 150th anniversary.

Concurrently, the company announced two additional promotions:

• Laura Burkholder is being promoted to vice president of consumer marketing, overseeing all subscription sales efforts, as well as customer service and call center operations.
• Jeff Sebesta is being promoted to vice president of circulation operations, managing the company’s complex metro home-delivery operations as well as single-copy sales, outstate distribution, and third-party product delivery.

“Steve inspires positive change and his teams have delivered consistent, quantifiable success,” said Mike Klingensmith, publisher and CEO of Star Tribune. “Through the commitment and excellence of Steve and his team, the Star Tribune brand has achieved terrific visibility in our marketplace. We look forward to his expanded leadership in new areas including retail sales, customer service, and distribution as we continue our transition to a business that derives more revenue from digital channels.

“I’d be remiss if I didn’t also note that this is also, in many ways, a bittersweet occasion for us as Arden Dickey steps away from an extraordinary career with Star Tribune. I can’t say enough about Arden’s singular expertise and commitment to our business and our customers. It has been a personal and professional privilege to work alongside such a talented and engaging colleague. He has deftly managed one of the most complex areas of our business, ensuring our uninterrupted streak of 152 years of daily delivery continues. Steve and his team have large shoes to fill, but Arden has left us in an excellent position.”