Michael Liedtke covers venture capital and a diverse group of large companies based in the San Francisco Bay area. The list includes Google Inc., Yahoo Inc., Oracle Corp., ChevronTexaco Corp., Gap Inc., Levi Strauss & Co., Charles Schwab Corp., Wells Fargo & Co. and Safeway Inc.

Before joining the Associated Press in 2000, Liedtke worked at the Contra Costa Times in Walnut Creek, Calif., where he covered finance, the economy and wrote a weekly column about local business issues.

Liedtke, a graduate of San Jose State University, has been covering the business scene in the San Francisco Bay area for 20 years. His work has been recognized by the Associated News Executive Council of California and Nevada and the California Newspaper Publishers Association. He lives in San Ramon, Calif. with his wife, Elaine, and their 9-year-old daughter.