Financial Times appoints new US staff

Mara Der Hovanesian is the new fund manager correspondent, covering hedge funds, mutual funds and pension funds. She previously worked in senior editorial roles at BusinessWeek, including as markets and investments editor and banking and finance editor.

Suzanne Kemper has been appointed banking and insurance correspondent, covering US regional banks, insurers, and mortgage associations Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. She will focus on the retail business of large banks, and developments in the credit card and mortgage markets. She was most recently at Fortune magazine, has covered the retail industry for the New York Post and was a London-based business correspondent for The New York Times.

Jeremy Lemer will be the new US business correspondent, covering US airlines, industrial companies, and broader trends in corporate America. He was previously London-based defence reporter for the FT.

Lemer will replace Justin Baer, the new Wall Street correspondent covering investment banks and large banks. Baer in turn replaces Greg Farrell, who will be the new US consumer industries correspondent.

Telis Demos joins the FT as web editor, with a focus on markets coverage. He was most recently a news and features writer for Fortune and will report to Darren Dodd, deputy US news editor.

"Each of these journalists will bring new perspective and insight, further enhancing the quality and depth of our award-winning editorial coverage," said US managing editor of the FT Chrystia Freeland in a statement. "These appointments underscore the FT's commitment to producing the most competitive and sophisticated coverage of business, finance and markets, in print and online."

This is the latest in a string of announcements from the FT. Last week the paper launched a new series of iPhone apps for its FT-branded travel guides. Then it announced that a FT mobile app for Blackberry will be launched in the first half of this year.

Sources: Editor and Publisher, News on News