“Retaining DrivingWheel has been the smartest thing I've done as Chief Executive. I found John Benditt to have unparalleled knowledge of science magazine publishing; his approach is insightful, energetic, analytical, creative and responsive. He has shown us how we can implement dramatic changes to a valued but static publication to make it into one that is visionary and positioned for the future. DrivingWheel has guided every aspect of the process, including market and reader analysis, business plan creation, recruitment, web design and a full print redesign. DrivingWheel inspired confidence in our staff and Board through its obvious expertise and by providing 100% of the principal's attention through each step of our transformation.”
----
Elizabeth Marincola
CEO of the Society for Science and the Public,
Publisher, Science News
“MIT recruited John Benditt as relaunch editor-in-chief of our 100-year-old Technology Review Magazine. John worked on restructuring and redesigning the magazine and starting its transition to online. The results were dramatic. Editorial awards were won. Circulation quintupled far outside MIT’s alumni. Circulation and advertising revenues followed. I recommend John highly to magazine publishers everywhere.”
----
Bob Metcalfe ’68 MIT
Trustee and Director, MIT’s Technology Review,
inventor of the Ethernet
“John Benditt brought an exciting idea to us, and worked with our team to bring it to market. He is clear, passionate, and articulate about science writing. He also listened to the market and to customers, which was vital in shaping the project.”
----
Helen Alexander
CEO, The Economist Group,
publisher of The Economist
“John Benditt is one of the strongest builders and rebuilders of magazines and websites. He insists on sharpness, timeliness, and relevance from the very beginning, marshals the best talent for telling the stories, brings in the most creative design people for both touch-ups and makeovers, and relentlessly surveys reader's judgments about the content and the way it's presented. Schooled at Scientific American and Science, John transformed MIT's Technology Review into an award-winning national magazine.”
----
Victor McElheny
former Director, MIT’s Technology Review,
founder, Knight Science Journalism Fellowship Program, MIT,
author of Watson and DNA
“John invented Galileo, the best science magazine that never got published. Working with him on that project was exciting because of his imagination, inventiveness and innovative ideas about financing.”
----
David Baltimore
former president of Caltech,
Nobelist in Medicine or Physiology
“John Benditt is an extremely talented person. He combines incredible creativity with a forward looking view of markets and a keen business sense. He surrounds himself with talented people. But it is his understanding of how to tell the stories of science and technology that makes John a special resource. It is this authenticity that I have seen in the several projects where we have had an opportunity to work on together—including his creation of Science’s Next Wave and his reinvention of Technology Review and Science News.”
----
Shirley Malcom
head of Education and Human Resources at the American Association for the Advancement of Science,
member of Bill Clinton’s Presidential Council of Advisors in Science and Technology
“John Benditt’s help was critical during the year that The Scientist planned our dramatic redesign, which has garnered us editorial and design awards. He was direct in his feedback, always constructive in his suggestions, and left no stone unturned as we worked to improve the magazine. He also had a wealth of knowledgeable and experienced contacts he drew on regularly for areas of expertise outside his own. I would heartily recommend him to any publication considering a similar reinvention—in fact, I already have.”
----
Ivan Oransky,
Executive Editor, The Scientist
“DrivingWheel Consulting in the form of John Benditt has provided excellent research and analysis reports for Wiley-Blackwell. Benditt combines a personal approach with creative, yet pragmatic thinking, embedded in a willingness to engage the scientific research and teaching community directly. He also has a keen entrepreneurial sense, with his finger on the pulse of technological developments. All in all, John Benditt is to be highly recommended.”
----
Robert Harington
Executive Publisher, Life Sciences,
Wiley/Blackwell Science Publishing Group
“John Benditt played a key role in the evolution of The Scientist, from both editorial and business perspectives, between 2004 and 2006. During that time we reinvented the print magazine, which has subsequently won multiple publishing awards, produced a livelier and more engaging website and significantly broadened the business base of the company. Each of these areas benefited from John's input.
Our association began in early 2004 when I engaged John to critique The Scientist and to present his conclusions at our annual editorial summit. This was a fruitful exercise and led to a long-term partnership. John served as a "virtual partner" to me as The Scientist underwent major modification throughout 2005. Along with the Deputy Editor we developed the new editorial product and planned the redesign; We also worked on a revised business model. For focus groups, redesign and business analysis I used consultants that were introduced to me by John.
I give John the highest possible recommendation. He focused on our needs, helped clarify problems and solutions and provided valuable support throughout the process.”
----
Richard Gallagher
Editor and Publisher, The Scientist
