CNBC hires Picker from NY Times

CNBC senior vice president and editor in chief Nik Deogun sent out the following announcement on Wednesday:

I am pleased to announce that Leslie Picker will be joining CNBC as a reporter covering hedge funds, private equity and asset management, effective Feb. 6.  She will be based at CNBC Global Headquarters, and her reporting will appear on television and CNBC’s digital platforms.

Leslie comes to us from The New York Times where she covered deals. Her beat encompassed mergers and acquisitions, initial public offerings, venture capital, private equity, restructuring and shareholder activism. Previously, she was a reporter at Bloomberg News where she reported on initial public offerings. There, she also contributed to Bloomberg Businessweek, Bloomberg Television and Bloomberg Radio. Prior to becoming a reporter, Leslie was a segment producer for Bloomberg Television. She began her career as a booker at Fox Business Network.

Leslie graduated magna cum laude from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, earning a bachelor’s degree in political science. She also earned a master’s in journalism from Columbia University, graduating with honors, and an MBA from New York University’s Stern School of Business, with a concentration in finance.

Please join me in welcoming Leslie to CNBC.