America’s Test Kitchen, a seminal brand in culinary media, announced today that Dan Souza, Editor in Chief of Cook’s Illustrated magazine, will step into the media company’s top creative role of Chief Content Officer (CCO) effective immediately. As CCO, Souza will oversee all ATK content, providing creative direction across platforms, including television, video, digital, magazines, books, YouTube, social media, and podcasts.
As a tenured leader who has been with America’s Test Kitchen since 2008, Souza is uniquely positioned to carry forward and expand upon ATK’s creative legacy and mission to empower and inspire confidence, community, and creativity in the kitchen. He will be responsible for the continued evolution of content across all ATK brands: America’s Test Kitchen, Cook’s Illustrated, and Cook’s Country. Souza has made a considerable impact on the business over the years, playing a key role in the success and popularity of ATK original content, including helming the acclaimed Cook’s Illustrated magazine, appearing as a key member of the America’s Test Kitchen TV show, and launching the successful What’s Eating Dan? YouTube series.
“We could not be more pleased to have Dan Souza take the creative reins for ATK and continue the legacy established by Jack Bishop’s pioneering leadership,” said Dan Suratt, America’s Test Kitchen CEO. “Dan is a singular talent with deep experience across the business. He has an exciting forward-looking vision for ATK that continues to make the science behind cooking accessible with his distinct knack for connecting with people through storytelling.”
“Dan’s experience as an editor, writer, recipe developer, food science expert, television and YouTube personality, and social influencer make him the perfect choice to lead the content teams. In his seven years as Editor in Chief of Cook’s Illustrated, Dan has rejuvenated this storied brand and made the magazine the best it’s ever been,” said Jack Bishop, ATK’s outgoing Chief Creative Officer. “I look forward to seeing what Dan does next as America’s Test Kitchen continues its mission of empowering and educating home cooks.”
Souza brings over 16 years of experience leading and founding key elements of the America’s Test Kitchen portfolio:
- Under Souza’s leadership as Editor in Chief since 2017, ATK’s flagship magazine Cook’s Illustrated won the magazine industry’s top national magazine honor from the American Society of Magazine Editors (ASME), recognized for General Excellence in the service and lifestyle category in 2023.
- Souza has been a cast member, test cook, and resident on-air science expert on America’s Test Kitchen for 12 seasons and is the lead judge for the Amazon show America’s Test Kitchen: The Next Generation.
- Over the course of his tenure, Souza helped launch ATK’s YouTube channel and is the creator and host of the popular series, What’s Eating Dan?, ATK’s first original YouTube show.
- Souza has authored hundreds of recipes for ATK magazines and television shows and contributed to over a dozen cookbooks, including the New York Times best seller The Science of Good Cooking (2012) and James Beard Award–nominated Cook’s Science (2016).
- His personal stories have appeared on the Peabody Award–winning The Moth Radio Hour and he is a regular expert sought after for print, podcast, radio, and television interviews with outlets such as NPR, The Splendid Table radio show, Good Morning America, and The Drew Barrymore Show, among others.
“It is the honor of my career to take on this role from my mentor and friend, Jack Bishop,” said Souza. “America’s Test Kitchen is a venerated culinary media institution that has been near to my heart since my early days working in restaurant kitchens. I’m thrilled to carry on ATK’s long tradition of excellence and continue revolutionizing how generations of Americans cook.”
Souza is a Boston-area native and lives in Jamaica Plain. He graduated first in his class from The Culinary Institute of America and holds a Bachelor of Science in Business from the University of Richmond. Before joining America’s Test Kitchen, Souza cooked in restaurants in New York, Boston, and Hungary.
Bishop, who has set the creative direction for ATK’s broad media portfolio since 2015, will continue to appear on America’s Test Kitchen, America’s most-watched cooking show on public television celebrating 25 years this fall, and Amazon’s America’s Test Kitchen: The Next Generation competition show and will oversee additional creative projects.
The search for a new Editor in Chief of Cook’s Illustrated magazine will commence immediately.
About America’s Test Kitchen
The mission of America’s Test Kitchen (ATK) is to empower and inspire confidence, community, and creativity in the kitchen. Founded in 1992, the company is the leading multimedia cooking resource serving millions of fans with TV shows (America’s Test Kitchen, Cook’s Country, and America’s Test Kitchen: The Next Generation), magazines (Cook’s Illustrated and Cook’s Country), cookbooks, a podcast (Proof), FAST channels, short-form video series, and the ATK All-Access subscription for digital content. Located in a state-of-the-art, 15,000-square-foot test kitchen in Boston’s Seaport District, ATK has earned the trust of home cooks and culinary experts alike thanks to its one-of-a-kind processes and best-in-class techniques. Fifty full-time (admittedly very meticulous) test cooks, editors, and product testers spend their days tweaking every variable to find the very best recipes, equipment, ingredients, and techniques. Learn more at https://www.americastestkitchen.com/.
