WSJ seeking Hong Kong M&A reporter

The Wall Street Journal is looking to hire a reporter to cover mergers and acquisitions in Asia, according to an e-mail sent out Wednesday morning by deputy managing editor Nik Deogun.

Deogun writes, “This position will become available soon when our current Asian M&A reporter, the talented Rick Carew, leaves the Journal to pursue an MBA at Columbia University. Rick has done a great job on the beat and we wish him the best.

“The environment for deals in Asia has never been more active. The economies of China, India and other parts of Asia are becoming a bigger magnet than ever for investment in a world attracted to growth stories. But it’s Asian outbound investment that’s increasingly making waves on the global M&A scene. Cash-rich players such as China’s ambitious sovereign wealth fund are buying up resource companies and distressed property assets.

“The ideal candidate to cover this unfolding story can break news scoops big and small for our real-time outlets, explain complex financial matters and dominate a story from beginning to end by staying ahead of key developments and putting it all in perspective. This person can profile deal makers, blog about the industry and inject some smart perspective into analysis pieces.

“We’re looking for someone who’s great at sourcing, can rub elbows with bankers, lawyers and the private-equity crowd and win their trust. Teamwork is also key: there will be frequent collaboration with Newswires, the deals team led by Dennis Berman in New York, the finance team in London, and colleagues in other Asian bureaus -– especially China, where so much of the Hong Kong activity is focused. Chinese or other Asian language ability is a definite plus.”