WSJ names senior editor for Europe, Middle East and Africa

Thorold Barker, the Wall Street Journal editor who oversees coverage of Europe, the Middle East and Africa, sent out the following staff promotion on Tuesday morning:

I am delighted to announce that Bruce Orwall is appointed Senior Editor, Europe, Middle East and Africa. Bruce’s new role is a pivotal step in the integration of the European news organization as we focus on building our local audience across all platforms, while also boosting the quality of our news and analysis in the region for global readers.

He will lead the news operations of the combined WSJ and Newswires teams.  Bureau chiefs in the region will report to him on day-to-day news-related matters, as will the London-based editors responsible for financial, corporate and political/economic coverage.

Bruce has been the Wall Street Journal’s London Bureau Chief since 2009.  In London, he has led a wide array of coverage from Libor manipulation and the WikiLeaks saga to News Corp.’s phone hacking scandal, the 2012 Summer Olympics and a royal wedding.

From 2004 to 2009, Bruce was the Los Angeles Bureau Chief, overseeing areas including the entertainment business, immigration, the aerospace and defense industries and gambling.   Prior to that, he was the West Coast Entertainment Editor, overseeing coverage of the media business in L.A. while continuing to work as a reporter covering Walt Disney Co. and other Hollywood entities. He joined the Journal in 1995, initially covering the casino and hotel industries.

Bruce came to the Journal from the St. Paul Pioneer Press, where he worked from 1987 to 1995, and The Herald (Everett, WA) where he began his career in 1984. He is a graduate of the University of Washington.

Please join me in congratulating Bruce on his new role.