This column is delivered with mixed emotions.
After two and a half years as editor-in-chief of the Business Journal, I’m stepping away to take on a new role with a digital media company.
While I’m excited by the opportunity that lies ahead, I’m sorry to bid goodbye to the Business Journal’s loyal, passionate, engaged and educated readers.
It’s been a true pleasure to interact with so many of you, either at our in-person events and panels (in pre-pandemic times) or through the virtual settings that have developed since Covid-19 proved to be the ultimate disruptor.
And for those I never got to connect with personally, let me say that it was gratifying to know that all the hard work that goes into each issue is so thoroughly appreciated.
The fact that you continue to count on the Business Journal every day and every week to stay informed and to make smart decisions is not lost on us, and we do our best to honor that trust.
I’m also incredibly proud to be going out on a high note, with the arrival of our annual Wealthiest Angelenos special issue this week.
This lofty list is the culmination of months of painstaking work by the editors and reporters on the Business Journal team. I happen to think it’s an even stronger offering than last year’s version, and that one earned national honors from an esteemed business journalism organization.
From the wow factor on this year’s cover to the mind-blowing facts and figures scattered across its pages — it takes $1.4 billion just to gain entry to the top 50 club this year — the issue is everything the Business Journal strives to be week in and week out: thoughtful, insightful, useful and even a little provocative.
As a native Angeleno (yes, there are a few of us around) I always liked to think that I knew more than most about what drives this dynamic city. But until I took the reins at the Business Journal, I never had the chance to see Los Angeles from such distinct angles or such elevated heights.
My tenure here has been remarkably rewarding, and it supersized my knowledge of all things L.A., from the nonstop whirl of real estate to the breakneck pace of Silicon Beach, from the blue-collar determination at the ports to the dazzling dollars thrown off by private equity firms.
It’s a testament to the talented staff of the Business Journal that they have managed to do some of the best work in the illustrious history of this publication in the months since the pandemic arrived. I’ll always be amazed at the quality, quantity and focus from this fully remote team during this unprecedented period.
Of course, we’ve been blessed with plenty of rich material during my time here. With its endlessly fascinating executives, its relentless pursuit of innovation and its determination to overcome any obstacle, L.A. arguably stands as the world’s most interesting business community.
It’s been an honor to oversee the Business Journal’s extensive and wide-ranging coverage and to track the people and companies who make Los Angeles go.
Rest assured that I’ll continue to follow L.A.’s companies closely in the years to come — and that I’ll turn to the Business Journal when I do.
