>> Eric: THIS PAST MONDAY THE SAHAN JOURNAL NAMED ITS NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR VANAN MURUGESAN WHO HAS WORKED FOR NEARLY A DECADE AT NON-PROFIT PILLSBURY UNITED COMMUNITIES AND HELPED LAUNCH COMMUNITY NEWS OUTLETS NORTH NEWS AND KRSM RADIO.

HE SUCCEEDS THE FOUNDER AND CEO MUHKTAR IBRAHIM AND WILL MOVE INTO THE ROLE IN EARLY SEPTEMBER.

VANAN MURUGESAN JOINS S NOW.

HOW DID I DO ON YOUR NAME?

>> GOOD ATTEMPT, ERIC.

VANAN MURUGESAN.

MY WIFE WANTED ME TO SPELL IT OUT PHONETICALLY SO I THINK I WILL TAKE HER UP ON THAT OFFER.

NO WORRIES, NO WORRIES, THANK YOU SO MUCH.

>> Eric: YOU DON'T HAVE A JOURNALISM BACKGROUND PER SE, WHAT DO YOU SEE YOUR ROLE AS?

>> GREAT QUESTION.

I WAS BROUGHT IN BY THE LEADERS OF SAHAN TO BE AN ORGANIZATION BUILDER.

IT'S NOT UNCOMMON TO SEE ORGANIZATIONS BRING IN LEADERS THAT ARE NOT SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS OF THE FIELD.

MINNESOTA UNITED BROUGHT IN SHARI, CEO -- SORRY, EXECUTIVE FROM BEST BUY.

YESTERDAY I MET ROB ZESKE, CEO OF REPORT FOR AMERICA.

NO JOURNALISM BACKGROUND TOO, BUT THIS IS WHAT WE HAVE IN COMMON, A, WE'VE GOT TO BE PASSIONATE ABOUT THE WORK THAT WE DO.

THAT'S A GIVEN, THAT'S NONNEGOTIABLE.

BUT SECOND I THINK THERE ARE PARTICULAR SETS OF SKILL SETS AND EXPERIENCES THAT THE ORGANIZATION NEEDS IN A PARTICULAR MOMENT IN TIME.

AND SO IN THIS PARTICULAR MOMENT I HAVE A STRONG TRACK RECORD OF DRIVING STRATEGIC GROWTH, COMING UP WITH INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS, BRINGING IN NEW NCOME REVENUE STREAMS INTO A PARTICULAR BODY OF WORK THAT I OVERSEE.

I'M PROUD OF THE FACT THAT I'M ABLE TO BUILD STRONG CULTURE WITHIN AN ORGANIZATION, I THINK SAHAN IT'S MOSTLY JUST MAINTAINING IT.

BUT, YEAH, NO JOURNALISM BUT I THINK I DO HAVE, I'M VERY CONFIDENT ABOUT MY SETS OF SKILLS TO TAKE OVER MUHKTAR.

YEAH.

>> Cathy: YOU HAVE BIG SHOES TO FILL BUT I THINK YOU'RE GOING TO BE GREAT.

>> YES.

>> Cathy: SO YOU MENTIONED THAT YOU HAVE A KNACK FOR DEVELOPING NEW REVENUE STREAMS.

AS WE ALL KNOW MEDIA LANDSCAPE IS PRETTY TOUGH OUT THERE WHEN IT COMES TO FINANCES.

>> YES, YES, CORRECT.

>> Cathy: IS IT STILL IMPORTANT TO YOU TO KEEP SAHAN AS A NON-PROFIT >> IT'S A GREAT QUESTION.

I DON'T SEE THAT CHANGING, CATHY.

IN FACT I THINK WE'RE SEEING A GROWING TREND NATIONWIDE NATIONALLY WHERE MEDIA IS BEENING NON-PROFIT.

AND IT DOES REQUIRE STRATEGIC THINKING.

WE ARE NOT GOING TO COMPLETELY BE RELYING ON NON-PROFIT METHODS BUT, YES, I DO SEE THAT WAY.

>> Eric: WHAT LED YOU TO SEEK THIS JOB?

>> YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU SIT DOWN SOMETIMES YOU'LL SEE DOTS CONNECTING.

AND THERE'S BEEN SPECIFIC MOMENTS IN TIME OF MY LIFE WHERE THAT'S COMING AND BRINGING ME TO THIS MOMENT.

I HAVE ALWAYS CARED ABOUT JOURNALISM, THE IMPACT OF THE WORK THAT IT DOES, HOLDING TRUTH TO POWER.

GROWING UP IN MALAYSIA, I'VE SEEN THE POWER OF -- I'VE SEEN VARYING DEGREES OF JOURNALISM, ABILITY TO DO IT, COMING TO THE UNITED STATES I SAW THAT ABILITY.

UNFORTUNATELY I DON'T SEE THAT AS MUCH BEING REPRESENTED IN THE BIPOC COMMUNITIES, AND I FEEL LIKE SAHAN HAS THE ABILITY TO DO THAT, TO REPRESENT THE WORK.

>> Cathy: DO YOU REMEMBER WHEN YOU FIRST PICKED UP OR CLICKED ON SAHAN JOURNAL AND YOU SAID TO YOURSELF, WHAT?

>> OH, THE FIRST PIECE THAT I PICKED UP FROM SAHAN WAS ABOUT I THINK IT WAS DURING COVID WHERE THEY HAD A PIECE ABOUT A BARBER SHOP IN NORTH MINNEAPOLIS, I THINK IT'S THIEL WILSON A WELL KNOWN FIGURE WITHIN NORTH MINNEAPOLIS BUT HE WAS ALSO PROVIDED SERVICES, COVID IMMUNIZATION, RIGHT, AND THE STORY, AND I THINK IT WAS IN COMBINATION WITH MPR TOO.

BUT THE STORY WAS WELL TOLD, IT TOLD STORIES ABOUT IMMIGRANT, BIPOC COMMUNITIES IN A WAY THAT I RARELY SEE FROM LEGACY MEDIA, YOU KNOW, NO KNOCK ON LEGACY MEDIA.

BUT JUST VERY, VERY WELL DONE, AND I STILL REMEMBER IT WAS KIND OF A FUN PIECE, I AM LIKE, HUH, THESE GUYS ARE PRETTY COOL ACTUALLY.

>> Eric: KIND OF UNFAIR TO SAY WHAT'S UNDER EVERY ROCK BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT THERE YET.

>> NO, NOT THERE YET.

>> Eric: BUT FIRST BLUSH WHAT STRIKES YOU ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION?

>> I THINK IT'S AN AMAZING -- I WOULD NOT HAVE TAKEN THIS JOB IF IT WAS -- I WAS VERY HAPPY AT PILLSBURY UNITED COMMUNITIES SO I WAS NOT LOOKING FOR A JOB BUT THE OPPORTUNITY FOR SAHAN CAME UP.

IT'S AN AMAZING ORGANIZATION AND I REALLY DO FEEL LIKE THE DOTS, THE PAST EXPERIENCE THAT I'VE HAD FOR THE PAST YOU GO TO EIGHT, NINE YEARS LED ME TO THIS POINT.

IF I HAD MORE TIME I WOULD LOVE TO TELL THAT STORY ANOTHER DAY.

IT'S A FANTASTIC ORGANIZATION, GREAT CULTURE, I'VE ALREADY MET THE STAFF SEVERAL TIMES, MET MUHKTAR SEVERAL TIMES, HE'S A LIVERPOOL SOCCER FAN, SO AM I SO I CAN'T WAIT TO BE PART OF THE TEAM.

>> Eric: KEEP US POSTED AS