Former New York Times, Wall Street Journal Reporter, Foreign Correspondent, Joins Sitrick And Company

LOS ANGELES, May 17, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Alexei Barrionuevo has joined Sitrick And Company as a member of the firm, after two decades in daily newspaper journalism -- including 14 years as a staff reporter at The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, where he specialized in energy coverage. He will be based in the firm's Los Angeles office.

While at the Times, Mr. Barrionuevo served as an international correspondent in Brazil, overseeing economic, business and political coverage of five countries in South America. While there, he led the paper's coverage of the rescue of 33 trapped miners in Chile, reported on battles between drug gangs and police in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro and broke stories on Brazil's business and economic boom. Mr. Barrionuevo also served as a national business correspondent for the Times, based in Chicago, where he reported on the rise of the ethanol industry, covered the criminal trial of Enron Corp. executives Kenneth Lay and Jeffrey Skilling and gave national prominence to the mystery of disappearing honey bees. While at the Times in New York, he wrote a column about global high-end real estate.

At the Journal, Mr. Barrionuevo served in Brussels as an international correspondent, where he wrote about European anti-trust and regulation. Prior to his European posting, he worked as a correspondent in Houston from 1999 to 2003, where he reported on global energy companies, including the merger of ConocoPhillips and the nascent energy trading industry, and participated in the Journal's award-winning coverage of the dramatic fall of Enron. Mr. Barrionuevo also lived in Caracas, Venezuela, for two years, where he covered the 1998 election of Hugo Chavez for USA Today.

He began his professional career as a staff writer for The Dallas Morning News, where he reported on schools and police.

Most recently, Mr. Barrionuevo directed and produced a documentary film about the world of electronic dance music called, Waiting For The Drop: Rise of the Superstar DJs.

"Alexei brings a wealth of experience, knowledge and expertise that will be extremely helpful in serving both existing and future clients of the firm," said Michael Sitrick, founder, chairman and CEO of Sitrick And Company. "We are thrilled to have him join our firm." Mr. Barrionuevo joins a roster of reporters, columnists, editors, correspondents and anchors from such media outlets as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg News, Forbes, The Los Angeles Times, CNBC, Fox Business News, NBC and CBS Television News.

Mr. Barrionuevo began working for The Wall Street Journal in 1999, reporting on global energy from Houston. In 2003, he did a stint in Iraq covering the war there, and he served as a correspondent in Brussels from 2003 to 2005, covering European anti-trust and regulation. 

After six years at The Wall Street Journal, he joined The New York Times in Chicago, where he served as a financial correspondent and covered the criminal trial of Enron executives Kenneth Lay and Jeffrey Skilling. He then was based in Brazil for four years, where he was the Southern Cone bureau chief for the paper, overseeing coverage of five countries in South America. Upon his return to New York, he wrote a column about global high-end real estate.

"I am thankful for the fascinating life journalism gave me, but I am excited to have an opportunity to use my knowledge and varied experiences in a challenging new arena," Mr. Barrionuevo said.

"For companies, celebrities and prominent individuals, the need for strategic communications counsel continues to grow," he said. "Our 24-hour news cycle and social media are super-fueling stories, requiring rapid responses from steady and creative hands with a deep knowledge of how the media operates—both traditional and new media. I am pleased to be joining the best in the business in this highly specialized field."

A native of Chicago, Mr. Barrionuevo is fluent in Spanish and Portuguese and has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of California, where he was an editor at the campus newspaper.

SOURCE Sitrick And Company