.bodytext {float: left; } .floatimg-left-hort { float:left; margin-top:10px; margin-right: 10px; width:300px; clear:left;} .floatimg-left-caption-hort { float:left; margin-bottom:10px; width:300px; margin-right:10px; clear:left;} .floatimg-left-vert { float:left; margin-top:10px; margin-right:15px; width:200px;} .floatimg-left-caption-vert { float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px; font-size: 10px; width:200px;} .floatimg-right-hort { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 300px;} .floatimg-right-caption-hort { float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 300px; font-size: 10px; } .floatimg-right-vert { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 200px;} .floatimg-right-caption-vert { float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 200px; font-size: 10px; } .floatimgright-sidebar { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 200px; border-top-style: double; border-top-color: black; border-bottom-style: double; border-bottom-color: black;} .floatimgright-sidebar p { line-height: 115%; text-indent: 10px; } .floatimgright-sidebar h4 { font-variant:small-caps; } .pullquote { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 150px; background: url(http://www.dmbusinessdaily.com/DAILY/editorial/extras/closequote.gif) no-repeat bottom right !important ; line-height: 150%; font-size: 125%; border-top: 1px solid; border-bottom: 1px solid;} .floatvidleft { float:left; margin-bottom:10px; width:325px; margin-right:10px; clear:left;} .floatvidright { float:right; margin-bottom:10px; width:325px; margin-right:10px; clear:left;} Mike Riggs had never been to Des Moines before he considered a job offer to become senior vice president of finance for Meredith Corp.’s publishing division. He and his family arrived in their new hometown two days before his three children started school and have been renting until they sell their house in Minnesota. But the former linebacker for North Dakota State University points out that he approaches every new obstacle with the drive to get through it and is excited to move from the newspaper industry into publishing.

What’s your background?

I lived in Fond du Lac (Wis.) until I graduated from high school and went to school in Fargo, N.D. I was recruited to play outside linebacker at North Dakota State University 30 pounds ago. After I was done with my undergraduate degree, I went to graduate school there to get my (master of business administration degree). After graduate school, I was looking to work someplace, and the Twin Cities seemed to have a lot to offer. I started at a job in public accounting as an auditor. I left public accounting for a job at the (Minneapolis) Star Tribune and worked there for a few years in a few different roles. I left to do (Securities and Exchange Commission) reporting for a publicly traded company and then got recruited to come back to the paper. I worked at the paper about seven years until Meredith tapped me on the shoulder.

What’s your new role at Meredith?

I’m the senior vice president of finance for the publishing group, but I’ll also have oversight responsibility for the production area and strategic sourcing for the company as well, where I will look at how we spend our money, where we spend it and are we buying things as inexpensively as we can.

The Newspaper Association of America named you one of its “Twenty Under Forty.” What led them to honor you?

I think it’s probably less about any one thing and more about ascending to a pretty significant leadership role in an organization quickly. I was (chief financial officer) at the Star Tribune, which is a big newspaper.

Is there one trait you have that has helped you advance in your career so quickly?

If I had to point to one thing, it would be an ability to overcome obstacles, starting with the end in mind and identifying where those obstacle points may be and working through them, around them, over top, whatever it takes, and a willingness to do that.

What are you going to miss most about Minneapolis?

I am going to miss the fishing to be sure. I’ll be bringing my boat down; I just have to tow it back up there. It’s a 19-foot fishing boat. I tell you it’s a fishing boat, but to my wife, Kim, it’s a family boat. I had to sell that one a little bit.

What else do you like to do outside work?

I’ve played quite a bit of golf in the past and am hoping to rekindle that a bit here. I’m an avid sports fan still. Also our children are really involved in a number of activities from dance to athletics to Girl Scouts, so we stay pretty busy.

What sports team do you root for?

I’m a die-hard Packer fan. Literally probably in the last 15 years I think I missed one game and it was the day we got married. And I still caught a little bit of it.

Do you have a specific career goal as you start this new position?

Early in my career I had set a goal to become CFO of a company and have gotten there. This position at Meredith is a significant one as well. Where does it go from here? We’ll see. I’m truly approaching this as a launch point within the organization as opposed to an end destination.

Do you see a big difference between the newspaper business and magazine publishing?

Absolutely. Newspapers in general have been challenged over the last few years and taken a significant hit on their classified revenue. We’re in a growing environment here, which is a lot more fun.