WSJ names Back deputy editor of “Heard on the Street”

Spencer Jakab, editor of “Heard on the Street” at the Wall Street Journal, sent out the following announcement on Thursday:

I am thrilled to announce that Aaron Back has been named Deputy Editor of the recently-expanded Heard on the Street column.

Aaron brings a wealth of experience to the job with stints having supervised journalists in Shanghai and Beijing. He has shown a keen understanding of financial and economic topics in his six years as a Heard columnist in Hong Kong and New York. Since returning to the U.S., Aaron has shown mastery of two beats, financials and consumer staples, producing several prescient and memorable columns.

Less-auspiciously, Aaron freely chose to become a Mets fan after moving to New York. That lapse in judgment notwithstanding, Aaron has become a reassuring TV presence following stock market wipeouts, aided by the most-impressive beard in Money & Investing (sorry Charles) and a strategic hoard of neckties. He can regularly be seen with his head in his hands during late afternoon rallies.

With his added editorial responsibilities, Aaron will be handing over coverage of all things financial and we will soon advertise this new position. Please get in touch with me if you’re interested.