Bloomberg’s note to Bloomberg News staff about editor change

Here is the note that Bloomberg LP founder Michael Bloomberg sent to the staff on Tuesday about the change in editor in chief:

Dear Colleagues,

Hiring Matthew Winkler 25 years ago to create a news service that would allow Bloomberg to bypass the wire services and provide market-moving information more quickly to our customers was one of the best decisions I ever made — and it worked out better than either of us could have hoped. Today, thanks to Matt’s relentless pursuit of excellence, Bloomberg News is the fastest, most reliable and most insightful news organization in the world — and the value added for our customers cannot be overstated.

I have always believed that organizations benefit from internal change, and that is one of the reasons I stepped away in 2001. Now, as I resume full-time leadership in the company in 2015, Matt will take on a new role as Editor-in-Chief Emeritus, working directly with me on strategic initiatives, while also conducting high-profile interviews of global newsmakers and bringing his insights and expertise to the most important stories. His experience will be enormously beneficial to me, and he will play an active and vital role at Bloomberg.

As part of this transition, I am excited to announce that, early in the next year, John Mickelthwait, Editor-in-Chief of The Economist since 2006, will succeed Matt as Editor-in-Chief of Bloomberg. His background makes him the perfect fit for the job. John began his career in banking at Chase Manhattan. He moved to The Economist in 1987 to become a finance corresp0ndent and worked his way to the top. He has done an exceptional job leading The Economist into the digital age and expanding its audience. As a leading authority on globalization, he has appeared on television and radio programs around the world, and he is the co-author of numerous books. He’s as hard-working as he is talented, and we are thrilled that he has decided to join Bloomberg.

His arrival early in the next year will give us the chance to unify the editorial said of our company, which has grown rapidly in recent years. John will oversee editorial content across the company, including our news, newsletters, magazines, opinion, television, radio and digital properties. He will also oversee our research, including Bloomberg Intelligence and Bloomberg Brief. The incredible diversity of our content presents opportunities for greater collaboration and coordination among different teams, and the more we can capitalize on those opportunities, the better we can serve our clients — and expand our audience and influence. John will work closely with Justin Smith, CEO of the Bloomberg Media Group, who will continue to report directly to me on all business and strategy matters across Bloomberg’s diverse media properties.

I’ve never been more optimistic about Bloomberg’s future. I’ve loved being back, and I’m looking forward to a great 2015.

All the best,

Mike