Buzzfeed hires business reporter from Bloomberg

Sapna Maheshwari, a retail reporter for Bloomberg News, has been hired by Buzzfeed, which is getting ready to launch a business news operation.

Buzzfeed hired Peter Lauria of Reuters last month to be its business editor.

In a goodbye message to her Bloomberg colleagues, Maheshwari wrote:

It was a tough decision because I was genuinely happy on the consumer team at Bloomberg (Miami! VS Fashion Show! Sheer yoga pants!) But I was extremely attracted to the opportunity to help create a new platform for business journalism, write content that will reach more viewers + consumers (especially those under 35) and, I hope, make a real impact. My new editor, Peter Lauria, was another selling point. Now seems like the best time in my life to take this kind of a risk, and BuzzFeed’s culture really appeals to me, as does its business model. And its love of animals, obviously.

I have been so fortunate to start my career at Bloomberg and work with and socialize with such extraordinary people. It’s been a pleasure getting to know you guys over the years and I will miss you when I’m gone! Thank you for being awesome, sharing so much knowledge and always being available for a laugh.

Maheshwari has been at Bloomberg since 2009, and she has covered a variety of beats, including currencies, Treasuries, stocks and insurance companies during her first year as a rotating reporter.

She covered corporate credit for nearly two years, writing about company bonds, credit-default swaps and new financing. She was a specialty retail reporter, covering J.C. Penney, Gap, Urban Outfitters, J. Crew, Limited Brands (Victoria’s Secret), American Eagle, Abercrombie & Fitch, Aeropostale, TJX, Ross, Lululemon, Williams-Sonoma, Talbots and more.

She is a graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill. While in college, she interned at the Hartford Courant, the Chapel Hill News and the China Internet Information Center.