OBJ senior writer David Sali took home a silver award among medium-sized business publications for his piece Senior execs Forsyth, Frasca and Lemieux leaving Shopify at the annual Alliance of Area Business Publishers (AABP) editorial excellence awards on the weekend.
The news was exclusive to OBJ and came at a time when Shopify was blazing hot during the pandemic, with millions buying online goods, making it surprising that the e-commerce giant would part ways with three of its seven top executives as it pursued its quest to take on Amazon.
Through great sourcing, Sali was able to confirm the departures, even earning a “tip of the hat” from one competitor.
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“This award recognizes Dave’s ability to stay close to sources and to earn their trust and respect,” says Anne Howland, OBJ’s editor in chief. “We’re always proud of Dave’s work, and are pleased that he has once again been recognized among his peers.”
This is the third consecutive year that Sali has been recognized for his work at the AABP awards. In past years, he has received awards for best news feature, best scoop and best overall writer among medium-sized business publications.
The AABP chooses from among hundreds of entries in various categories from its 55 independent magazine and newspaper members in the U.S., Canada and Australia. The 2022 awards were presented at the AABP annual summer conference in Columbus, Ohio.


