WaPo biz reporter Ahrens leaves paper

Frank Ahrens, a long-time business reporter at the Washington Post, is leaving the paper to become a PR person with Hyundai.

Greg Schneider, the assistant managing editor for business at the Post, wrote a memo about Ahrens departure that was posted online by FishbowlDC’s Matt Dornic.

In the memo, Schneider writes, “We are sad to announce that Frank Ahrens is leaving sooner, rather than later, as he accompanies his wife, Rebekah Davis, on her State Department assignment in South Korea. Frank will finally assume his rightful place as a captain of industry, having accepted a position in Seoul as Director/Worldwide Corporate Affairs in Global P.R. for Hyundai Motor Co., coordinating the automaker’s global public relations strategy.

“After 18 years at the Post, Frank’s last day is today. He has done layout in Sports, mastered the 85-inch William Shatner profile in Style and reinvented himself as a Brooks Brothers-wearing financial blogger in Business. At every stage Frank has charged forward with bravado, exuding a deep commitment to both capital-J Journalism and, more specifically, to The Washington Post as an institution and professional family.

“We hope his legions of admirers will join us for the caking at 4:30 back in Financial. We will, needless to say, miss him greatly.”

Read more here.