WSJ names new Asia editor

Wall Street Journal managing editor Gerard Baker sent out the following staff announcement on Thursday:

I’m delighted to announce that Paul Beckett is appointed Asia Editor.

A 20-year veteran of Dow Jones, Paul is uniquely equipped to lead us in the next phase of our expansion in the world’s most economically dynamic region.

Under his leadership in India, where Paul has been bureau chief since 2007, he has overseen a significant expansion of our coverage of the world’s most populous democracy. He has made digital journalism a top priority, launching WSJ.com’s India home page, india.wsj.com and its India blogs, sites which have seen steady growth in traffic. Last year, he took charge of the process of integrating our separate Newswires and Journal Teams in India into one combined bureau.

Paul will be trading the steamy heat of New Delhi for the relative balm of Hong Kong, where he will succeed the inestimable Almar Latour, who, as Executive Editor, is leading the global integration of Newswires and the Journal.

Paul’s appointment reflects our confident dedication to expanding our footprint in Asia with our trademark quality journalism, to reach new readers in the region and to provide the best news about Asia for a global readership.

He will report directly to me.

Paul began his career at Dow Jones in 1990 as a reporter for the Newburyport (Massachusetts) Daily News. He joined Newswires in 1993 and worked in New York, London, Mexico City and Washington, DC, before moving to the Journal in New York in 1998.

Please join me in congratulating Paul and wishing him all the best in this vital role.