New publisher named for the San Francisco Business Times

I’m excited to return to the Bay Area to lead our Business Journals into the next era, one that I know will be interesting and dynamic. Our mission of informing, connecting and convening is as important as ever. I could not be more thankful for the opportunity to serve the Bay Area business community.”

Pete Casillas, president and publisher, San Francisco Business Times

Pete Casillas has succeeded Mary Huss as Bay Area market president and publisher of the San Francisco Business Times.

Casillas, 48, a 25-year media veteran, assumed the new role effective Feb. 13. Huss, who announced her impending retirement earlier this year, will continue as publisher emerita until May 1.

The appointment was announced by Mike Olivieri, executive vice president, local markets, for the Business Times’ parent company, American City Business Journals.

"Pete is a thoughtful, forward-thinking leader whose experience working across many local business journals with a focus to evolve and grow in new directions make him the right person to lead our team in one of the most dynamic markets in the country," Olivieri said.

As Bay Area market president, Casillas will also have oversight of the Silicon Valley Business Journal.

It’s a homecoming of sorts for Casillas, who joined the Business Times in 2013 as advertising director before moving in 2014 to be publisher of the Denver Business Journal, another ACBJ publication. He was promoted to an ACBJ vice president, local markets, in 2018 and has since then overseen about a quarter of the company’s 40-plus business journals around the country, working directly with publishers and sales teams on revenue strategies and initiatives.

"I’m excited to return to the Bay Area to lead our Business Journals into the next era, one that I know will be interesting and dynamic,” he said. "Our mission of informing, connecting and convening is as important as ever. I could not be more thankful for the opportunity to serve the Bay Area business community."

Prior to joining ACBJ, Casillas held several senior leadership and revenue positions with Bay Area News Group and Digital First Media, including at the San Jose Mercury News. He grew up in Los Angeles and holds a bachelor's degree in political science from UCLA, and an MBA from Santa Clara University's Leavey School of Business.

He and his wife, Chrissy, are looking forward to returning to the Bay Area, this time with children Mason, 7, and Juliet, 5.

Mary Huss had served as publisher of the San Francisco Business Times since 1991.

Mary Huss is capping a 32-year run as publisher of the Business Times, guiding its growth since late 1991 from a fledgling publication to a mainstay. She assumed oversight of the Silicon Valley Business Journal in 2018.

"I can’t imagine a better choice than Pete Casillas to lead the San Francisco Business Times and Silicon Valley Business Journal into their next exciting era," Huss said. "Ten years ago, I had the opportunity to bring Pete into a leadership role at the Business Times, and my thought then was that he represented the future of our company. Pete brings incredible depth of experience and perspective to our operation and to this market. He inherits a talented team, and this most exciting market at such a pivotal time, and I look forward to working with him on a successful transition as I prepare to move to my next chapter May 1."