McGovern founded CareerBuilder in 1995 as NetStart Inc. The company went public in 1999 before going private again in 2000 when it was acquired for $200 million by publishers Knight Ridder and the Tribune Company. McGovern continued serving as the company's chief executive officer through 2002, overseeing CareerBuilder's acquisition of Headhunter (in 2001, for $200 million).
