George Wehrfritz
Editor | International Advisor to the Investment Team
George Wehrfritz joined SaratogaRIM in 2009. He advises Kevin and members of the investment team in research, editorial and communications capacities, and studies the international business strategies of firms under investment consideration.
Professional Experience
Foreign correspondent for Newsweek magazine
Served as bureau chief in Beijing (1994-98), Tokyo (1998-2003) and Hong Kong (2004 to 2009)
Was also the magazine’s Asian Economics Correspondent
Freelance journalist
Education
University of California, Davis
B.A. Economics
Fun Facts
Mayor of the town of Cathlamet, WA from 2009-2013
Speaks Mandarin Chinese
Has interviewed many of Asia’s top leaders and is the only American ever to be granted a live interview with a sitting Premier of China
His work with Newsweek garnered several top media awards:
Contributed to China packages that won Overseas Press Club Awards for foreign coverage in 1996 and 1997
Received a SAIS-Novartis Prize for Excellence in International Journalism in 2001 for his investigative project on Japan’s suicide epidemic
Earned the Society for Publishers in Asia (SOPA) award for best business reporting in 2002 with his series on Japan’s bad loan crisis
In 2009 won another SOPA for human rights coverage with a project on forced labor in Asia
Played semi-professional basketball in Asia
Played basketball at UC Davis
Grew up in Saratoga and Cupertino, CA