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Testimonials
People who have vouched for Mike Gutner
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David Truong
Direct Report
Jul 10, 2026
Mike is the ideal combination of people leader and program builder. He knows how to motivate people because he genuinely cares about them — that's not a soft skill for him, it's at his core. At the same time, he's methodical and numbers-driven, building programs on logic and systems rather than guesswork. What sets him apart is that he never let the systematic thinking crowd out the human element — he stayed outcome and solution-oriented while keeping people at the center of how he got there. I worked for Mike while he built out the first iterations of competency maps and talent evaluation system for Toast. The process was complex and intense. But Mike has a gift for simplifying complexity and always made sure we understood the why behind the work, not just the what. And rather than hoarding the execution, he built confidence in the people around him and delegated real ownership — which is how you know someone's actually building leaders, not just running a team. I've learned from many great leaders over the years. But Mike help set the foundation for the type of leader I strive to be.
on “Transformed Toast's Account Management Function from Reactive Firefighting to Strategic Revenue Growth”
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Oye Delano
Direct Manager
Jul 10, 2026
Mike is a hands-on leader who brings optimistic energy to complex problems and knows how to inspire a team. He balances a high bar for talent with genuine support for his people, both personally and professionally. He also has a strong eye for simplicity in processes and building systems for scale, keeping his team focused and effective as it grows.
on “Led much of Toast's People practice through COVID, IPO, and 100% Headcount Scale”
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Peter Zotto
Founder at Trove
Jul 10, 2026
Mike spoke at our Techweek event "careers in the age of AI" and completely won the room. He had a gift for making hard truths of our current environment feel human. His line, "If you're feeling overwhelmed, welcome to the party," got a number of laughs, but it landed because we're all overwhelmed with all we're being asked to do with AI. Honest, funny, and generous with what he'd learned, Mike is the kind of speaker who makes an event worth showing up for.
