John E. Riutta, MA, MBA, FLS

John E. Riutta has a diverse work experience in various companies.

In 1996, they started as a Technical Service Representative at Leupold & Stevens, Inc. where they provided customer support and created customer support documents. John E. later became an Information & Communications Specialist, responsible for creating and editing consumer publications, as well as assisting with marketing communications programs. In their role as a Marketing Communications Specialist, they expanded their responsibilities to include the production and editing of the company's annual product catalog and created product knowledge documents. John E. also began traveling to national and international trade and consumer events.

In 2003, John became an Observation Market Development Specialist at Leupold, focused on developing binoculars for bird watching and general observation markets. John E. worked with in-house and OEM teams to develop successful binocular product lines and spotting scopes. John E. also traveled extensively to establish relationships and sales channels in these markets.

In 2004, they took on the role of Observation Market Development Manager at Leupold. This position combined the responsibilities of product development and market development. John E. managed the development and market introduction of binoculars, spotting scopes, and accessories for the firm, primarily targeting bird watching and general observation markets, as well as the hunting and military markets.

In 2007, John started their own company, J. Riutta Enterprises, under which they founded, published, and promoted The Well-read Naturalist and the Natural History Book Review.

In 2009, they founded The Well-read Naturalist and served as the Founder and Publisher.

In 2015, they joined Celestron, LLC. and became the Product Development Manager for binoculars and spotting scopes, responsible for their development, market introduction, and in-market management. John E. also managed the social media presence for non-astronomical markets and led a special project to bring the Celestron brand into the birding market.

In 2017, their role expanded to include microscopes, where they focused on strengthening and enlarging the struggling microscope sales, marketing, and development activities. John E. also established new product education and training programs.

In 2018, their role further expanded to include outdoor electronics, where they continued their product development and management responsibilities for binoculars, spotting scopes, and microscopes.

Throughout their career, John has demonstrated expertise in product development, market development, marketing communications, and building relationships in various markets.

John E. Riutta, MA, MBA, FLS has an extensive education background. John E. obtained a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree in English Language and Literature/Letters from Lewis & Clark College, where they studied from 1987 to 1993. Following this, they pursued higher education at George Fox University and earned a Master of Arts (M.A.) degree in Education between 1994 and 1996. Later on, they attended the University of Oregon, from 2006 to 2008, where they achieved a Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) degree with a focus on Business Administration and Management, General.

In addition to their academic achievements, John has also acquired various certifications. John E. earned a teaching license for grades 5-12 from the Oregon Teacher Standards and Practices Commission in October 1996. John E. received the prestigious Fellow status from The Linnean Society of London in October 2018. Additionally, they obtained certifications in Public Relations Foundations from LinkedIn in August 2021, GS1 Foundations Online Certificate from GS1 US in September 2021, and became an Oregon Master Naturalist through Oregon State University in March 2016.