Midnight at the Casablanca

Wendy Queen is Chief Transformation Officer at Johns Hopkins University Press, having previously spent a decade at the helm of Project MUSE. In the first solo interview by co-host Lauren Kane, Wendy discusses being a woman in technology, bringing OA to the humanities, and the struggle of being an introvert in an extrovert’s world.

Todd Toler is VP of Product and Market Strategy at Wiley, his professional home for more than 20 years. In a wide-ranging conversation with Paul Peters and Lauren Kane, Todd talks about his role in Wiley’s many acquisitions, the challenge and promise of AI, and the sliding doors moments that could have led him to a very different place.

Welcome to Season 2 of Midnight at the Casablanca! Paul Peters welcomes a new co-host and previews an expanded season ahead.

In the Season 1 Finale of Midnight at the Casablanca, the tables are turned and your usual host Paul Peters is interviewed by Lauren Kane. In this wide-ranging and surprisingly emotional episode, Paul talks about escaping the Egyptian Revolution, Wiley’s acquisition of Hindawi, and why retiring at 40 might not be all it’s cracked up to be. 


Damian Pattinson is the Executive Director of eLife, an independent nonprofit committed to improving the way research is reviewed and communicated. In this episode, Damian speaks with Paul Peters on PLOS One’s growth era, his efforts to fundamentally rethink conventional publishing methods, and how wearing a tie can be an act of professional protest.

Will Schweitzer is CEO of Silverchair, the largest independent platform and workflow provider for the scholarly publishing industry. In this extended cut, Will speaks with Paul Peters about acquiring ScholarOne, coming out in the industry, and tempering startup expectations.

Sami Benchekroun is Co-Founder and CEO of Morressier, a venture backed startup for scholarly workflow tools. In an entertaining episode with one of the industry’s most charismatic figures, Sami speaks with Paul Peters on starting a company in your twenties, explaining scholarly publishing to VCs, and why he relishes his role as critic of some of the industry’s largest players.

Milan Wielinga has served as advisor on some of scholarly publishing’s largest and most transformational investments, mergers, and acquisitions, and is currently Managing Partner at Park 56. In a rich episode full of uncensored stories, Milan speaks with Paul Peters on Springer’s acquisition of BioMed Central, the DeGruyter-Brill merger, the sale of PeerJ to Taylor and Francis, and why this seemingly sleepy industry is actually rife with intrigue.

Ann Michael has had a storied career working across numerous industries grappling with digital transformation—and she’s just getting started. The Founder of Delta Think and perennial change agent speaks with Paul Peters on driving organizational innovation, how she despises getting bored, and why she’s been waiting her whole life for the AI revolution.

As CEO of De Gruyter, MD of Knowledge Unlatched, and now advisor and investor to dozens of the industry’s top startups, Sven Fund has more than a few stories to tell. In this candid episode, Sven speaks to Paul Peters on his journey from company man to one of the most prolific entrepreneurs and angel investors in the scholarly industry.