Reuters names Murray its new DC bureau chief

Kevin Krolicki, the regional editor for the Americas at Reuters, sent out the following announcement on Thursday:

Colleagues:

I am pleased to announce Kieran Murray has been named Washington bureau chief.

Kieran started working with Reuters in 1992 as a stringer in Central America. He worked in Mexico, the United States and East Africa before returning to Mexico, where he was bureau chief, and, most recently, news editor for Latin America and the Caribbean.

Along the way, he has reported from more than 20 countries for Reuters and covered stories ranging from wars and financial crises to natural disasters and boardroom drama.

Kieran is also an accomplished editor and an experienced manager with a record of building strong teams at Reuters.

I know that experience will serve him well as he arrives in Washington at the start of a new administration and at a time when we are building on our record of success in covering stories from American foreign policy to financial enforcement.

Kieran will take up his new role in January when we move to our gleaming new newsroom but will plan to visit the bureau to begin talking to reporters and editors as soon as next month.

Please join me in congratulating Kieran and welcoming him to Washington.

Please also join me in thanking everyone who has had a hand in keeping the Washington file sharp over a busy period when we have been without a permanent bureau chief.

That starts with Kevin Drawbaugh, who has steered the bureau and will continue to do so through the end of the year. It includes Paul Thomasch, Caren Bohan, Ross Colvin, Rich Valdmanis, Howard Goller and the team covering this historic election and the transition that begins in just under a month.

We also had help from Amran Abocar, Sue Horton, David Greising, David Rohde and Joe White, all of whom stepped away from their day jobs to help reinforce coverage in Washington in recent months.

Finally, thanks to all of the reporters and editors working in Washington for your patience and professionalism. Over the past few months, you’ve covered some of the biggest stories of the day while we tore the room down around you and searched for a new bureau chief.

Through it all, you’ve kept the focus where it must be: the opportunity to tell stories that are ours alone – from breaking news on the hacking of Democratic organizations to detailing for the first time the Obama administration’s internal debate over its responsibility for deaths in Yemen.

I know there is more to come. Thank you all.

Best,

Kevin