WSJ names new Europe editor, deputy Europe editor

Thorold Barker, the editor of Europe, Middle East and Africa at Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal, sent out the following announcement on Monday:

We are delighted to announce some key promotions on the London real-time news desk, as part of the global enhancement of our editing capabilities and our push to become a digital-first news organization:

Adrian Kerr is appointed Europe editor, real-time news. In this pivotal role, he will help drive breaking news coverage and ensure that all our digital platforms are well-served with timely and compelling news, analysis and visual content. Adrian will work closely with coverage chiefs in London and throughout EMEA to set the digital news coverage agenda. He will also coordinate with real-time editors in New York and Hong Kong to guarantee seamless handling of all high-impact global coverage.

Adrian is a Dow Jones veteran of over 20 years. After earning his stripes covering energy markets for Telerate as a reporter and editor in the 1980s and 1990s in Europe and Asia, Adrian then ran the newswires editing desk in London. He became managing editor of an Internet portal, (supanet.com) from 2000 to 2005. He then returned to Dow Jones Newswires as an editor. In 2011 Adrian moved to the WSJ.com team, editing business, economic, world and financial stories for online, before setting up and managing the expanded London News Desk. He graduated from New College, Oxford, with a degree in English Language & Literature. When not following his hometown football club of Liverpool or being a taxi service for his three daughters, he’s a keen fly fisherman and mountain walker.

Lydia Serota is appointed deputy Europe editor, real-time news and editor of WSJ.com in Europe. In her new role, Lydia will work closely with Adrian to help drive breaking-news coverage and prioritize digital platforms in the region, while overseeing the European edition of WSJ.com. She will also help manage other global editions of WSJ.com.

Lydia moved to the London news desk in January 2012 after five years on the wsj.com evening shift in New York. Before joining the Journal, she helped curate the news box on the Yahoo homepage. She has a B.A. in English from the University of California, Berkeley  (don’t mention football, please) and loves playing tennis even in the London drizzle.

John Crowley is appointed digital editor, EMEA. In his new role, John will be in charge of boosting the impact of our digital journalism in Europe. His team will use social media, search-engine optimization and other avenues to ensure that we engage our audience in Europe effectively. He is also tasked with enhancing the digital skills of journalists around the region. John will coordinate with counterparts in New York and Hong Kong.

Prior to joining the Wall Street Journal in 2010 as a senior news editor and then editor of Wsj.com in Europe, John worked as a reporter and editor at The Daily Telegraph, The Daily Mail and The Irish Post in London. John is fast giving up hope of being picked to play for his local soccer side, QPR, and is now transferring his hopes onto his two young boys.

Please join us in congratulating Adrian, Lydia and John on their important new roles.