WSJ reporter Benoit moves to financial enterprise team; Lombardo to activists

Wall Street Journal financial editor Charles Forelle sent out the following announcement on Monday morning:

Hi all,

Please join me in officially welcoming Cara Lombardo to M&I and the activism beat. Cara needs little introduction, since she’s been dropping stories like mad (here’s a hot scoop) in her first few weeks on the job. Cara joined the Journal on the Real Time Desk in New York, and distinguished herself with an astounding work ethic, a keen knowledge of corporate finance and a sharp eye for deals. She did a minor on the beverage beat amid her other responsibilities, and she landed a major M&A scoop — Bacardi’s purchase of Patron. As our activism reporter on the Deals team, she will cover corporate battles and some of the most interesting dealmakers around. She sits near the Danas on the Deals desk; swing by and say hi. Cara reports to Deals Editor Dana Cimilluca.

Cara, of course, replaces the estimable Dave Benoit, who moves a few yards away to join the Financial Enterprise team. Dave founded the activism beat in 2013, and has dominated it ever since. Dave chronicled the rise of activists into a tidal force of dealmaking and quite literally set the standard for how they’re covered. He broke news on their thrusts and parries and victories and defeats. He followed the long, long arc of their campaigns. And he zoomed out to take stock of the upheaval they caused, in remarkably rich, detailed and authoritative stories. Dave will bring his considerable knowledge of corporate governance and shareholder democracy to his new job, and will be working on projects across the financial landscape. He reports to Financial Enterprise Editor Chris Stewart.

-Charles