Brian Johnson

Brian Johnson is a business leader, author, entrepreneur and journalist. He currently serves as President, Massachusetts Medical Device Industry Council (MassMEDIC). A role he has held since September 2018. 

Under his watch, the trade association has grown revenues dramatically, expanded total membership, launched a virtual accelerator for medtech startups, and played a critical role in the local and federal medtech ecosystem, including helping to repeal the 2.3% medical device excise tax. During the early days of the  COVID-19 pandemic, MassMEDIC co-created the Massachusetts Supply Hub, which helped collect thousands of pieces of PPE for frontline workers. The Commonwealth officially adopted the program in the spring of 2020.    

Prior to his tenure at MassMEDIC, Brian conceived and later launched MassDevice.com, where he was responsible for conceiving and executing the strategic vision of the company, from inception through its acquisition in 2015 by WTWH Media. Today, MassDevice.com is one of the most widely read publications in the medtech industry with more than one million visitors per month. 

As an independent publisher, Brian spearheaded the growth of MassDevice from 0 to 100,000+ readers each month and led the company to profitability in just 3 years. In 2011, Brian conceived and launched DeviceTalks, a live-interview series featuring leaders in medicine. The event, which is held three times annually in Boston, Minnesota and Orange County, California, has attracted thousands of medical device executives to date and featured leaders from some of the world’s largest medical technology companies. Since 2015, Brian has also founded and launched two additional magazines, Medical Design & Outsourcing and Drug Delivery Business News, bringing total readership under his supervision to over 1.3 million. 

Under Brian’s direction, MassDevice and its associated properties have been widely recognized for its commitment to quality journalism. The editorial boards of the New York Times, NPR, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post have cited MassDevice’s coverage of issues pertaining to the medical device industry.  In 2012, MassDevice won a prestigious Communicator award in 2012 for excellence with its live web video series “Disruptors.” 

An experienced reporter and author, Brian has worked for The Associated Press, Boston Globe digital and The Eagle-Tribune newspaper, covering business and economics, local government and crime.  In 2017, his critically acclaimed first novel “MWD: Hell is Coming Home” was released by Candlewick Press.