Kahn, who has been managing editor at the Times since 2016, will take over on June 14.
Kahn, 57, joined the Times in 1998 from The Wall Street Journal.
“Joe brings impeccable news judgment, a sophisticated understanding of the forces shaping the world and a long track record of helping journalists produce their most ambitious and courageous work,” said A.G.
The organization has made a digital transformation with startling speed: Its roughly 10 million digital subscriptions increased 10-fold since 2014.
It’s hard to imagine now, but when Baquet took over as executive editor in 2014, there was doubt about the Times’ future, said Tom Rosenstiel, a journalism professor at the University of Maryland.
The Times had to return a Peabody Award for its 2018 podcast, “Caliphate,” after determining it could no longer vouch for the claims of a source.
Leading a new generation will be one of Kahn’s challenges, said Rick Edmonds, media business analyst at the Poynter Institute, a journalism think tank.
Last year The Washington Post named Sally Buzbee as its executive editor earlier this year, the Los Angeles Times hired Kevin Merida in the same role and The Associated Press named Julie Pace as its newsroom leader.
He began work at The Dallas Morning News but set his sights on China, and was working there when the Journal hired him in 1993.
She said he’s well-equipped to lead in the digital age, noting that Kahn was behind the creation of the Times’ Chinese-language edition.