Reuters names Brock its special correspondent for Southeast Asia

Matthew Tostevin, Southeast Asia editor for Reuters, sent out the following announcement on Thursday:

I am pleased to announce that Joe Brock is starting a new role as Special Correspondent, Southeast Asia. In this position, he will help to drive initiative reporting from the region – where he has been taking a lead since moving to Singapore earlier this year.

Just one example is Joe’s direction of outstanding coverage that has exposed the highly polluting business of turning used car tyres into fuel.

In his new job, Joe will be leading coverage of some specific key stories from conception through to publication, working with other reporters and editors to deliver ground-breaking articles. Although the focus will be on Southeast Asia, such stories will cross borders and continents.

Joe moved to the region as bureau chief for Singapore and Malaysia early last year. He joined Reuters on the markets and energy desks in London before spending eight years in Africa, where he reported from more than a dozen countries and wrote or co-wrote half a dozen special reports.

Joe is a keen sportsman, completing the Ironman triathlon in 2015. In Johannesburg, he used to opening the batting for a media cricket team. He grew up in Suffolk, in eastern England.

Congratulations are also due to Joe and his wife Gillian on the birth of their son Jos.

Joe will continue to report to me. The Singapore bureau chief position will be advertised. In the meantime, John Geddie will lead the Singapore reporting team as Acting Bureau Chief. Malaysia Bureau Chief Krishna Das will also now report to me. All changes take place with immediate effect.