CONAN GALLATY

CEO & CHAIRMAN, TIMES PUBLISHING CO., ST. PETERSBURG

Founded in 1884, Times Publishing Co. is the single largest employer of journalists based in Florida. It has covered the Sunshine State for generations with award-winning publications including the Tampa Bay Times, Tampa Bay Beacons and Florida Trend. It’s owned by the Poynter Institute, a nonprofit journalism school headquartered in St. Petersburg. Gallaty, who became CEO in 2022, has devoted his career to helping local news companies transition to a digital future and has pioneered projects from digital news archives to full-service marketing agencies to content syndication services. “Each success (and many failures) taught me the value of building a great culture that is driven by a strong mission,” Gallaty says.

EDUCATION: University of Georgia (BA, BS)

FIRST JOB: My very first job was as a busboy at a restaurant when I was 15.
My first job in the industry was as a reporter for my hometown newspaper.

DREAM ALTERNATE CAREER: I’m fascinated by space science and have always dreamed of working for NASA. Astronaut would be amazing, but just being inside mission control would be thrilling.

MENTEE IMPACT: I’ve had the great privilege of working with mentees over the years. My favorite moments are watching them climb the ladder or start up their own endeavors. I recently talked with someone who said I gave them the confidence they felt was missing in their life, because I believed in them when they didn’t. It reminded me of people who saw something special in me that I couldn’t see. I’ve had the benefit of incredible mentors, and I owe it to others to do the same.

SOMETHING SURPRISING: I was named after the author of Sherlock Holmes, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. My mom loved mystery novels. If I had been born a girl, she would have named me Agatha (Christie).

INDUSTRY TREND: Digital disruption in news publishing is being greatly accelerated by AI. It has never been easier to create content in multiple formats. Conversely, it has never been harder to tell fact from fiction. While this may pose a great threat, I believe it will also create a stronger demand for truth and transparency. In a sea of questionable content, islands of trust will be our refuge.