Consulting
Scoped engagements for executive teams and founders who need technology leadership that has actually built at scale — not just advised from a distance.
Select Engagements Only
I take on a small number of consulting engagements at a time. That is deliberate. The work I do best requires genuine attention — to your problem, your context, and your team. I am not a firm. I do not hand you off to a junior associate after the first meeting.
Every engagement involves me directly: scoping the problem, designing the approach, and doing the work alongside you.
Areas of Engagement
Three categories of work I do well — built from two decades of owning product and engineering outcomes at the executive level.
AI Adoption Strategy
Most organizations know they need to move on AI. Few have a clear picture of where it genuinely fits, what it will cost, or how to measure whether it worked. I help executive teams cut through the noise — mapping real use cases to business outcomes, building the internal case, and guiding implementation.
I am not just advising on AI. I am currently building MCP servers and AI agents in production. I know what the work actually looks like.
Fractional CTO & Virtual CTO
Technical leadership for organizations that need experienced direction but are not ready for — or do not need — a full-time hire. This includes architecture decisions, vendor selection, team structure, and serving as a credible technical voice to investors, boards, and enterprise clients.
I have served in this role for startups across multiple sectors and geographies, including engagements where the founders were non-technical and needed someone to own the technology narrative entirely.
Digital Transformation Advisory
Enterprise-scale transformation requires more than a technology plan — it requires organizational alignment, sequenced execution, and someone who has run the plays before. I bring more than two decades of owning product and engineering outcomes through technology transitions of genuine complexity.
From platform consolidations to SAFe implementations across global engineering organizations — I have done this work at scale.
Past Engagement Outcomes
A sample of the problems I have been brought in to solve — and what happened next.
Construction Equipment Rental Platform
A startup disrupting the fragmented construction equipment rental market needed technology leadership for non-technical founders. I served as Virtual CTO — providing architecture oversight, vendor management, and technology guidance as they built a platform to connect enterprise customers with a nationwide network of independent operators.
Cloud Migration & $2M+ in Annual Savings
At Topgolf, I ran a formal Azure vs. AWS bake-off, secured an AWS grant, and led the migration of the full corporate infrastructure to AWS as the new standard — including executive-level technical due diligence on multiple acquisition targets in San Francisco and Stockholm.
How Engagements Work
Two engagement models. Both involve me directly — not a team working behind my name.
Project-Based
A scoped engagement with defined deliverables and a clear end state. Best for platform assessments, technology strategy documents, AI readiness evaluations, and transformation roadmaps. We agree on scope and outcome before the work begins.
Well-suited for
- › Technology or AI readiness assessment
- › AI tools assessment
- › Platform architecture or vendor evaluation
- › Digital transformation roadmap
- › Building your technical team
Workshop
An intensive working session with your executive team — structured to surface real decisions, not produce slide decks. Best for AI strategy alignment, product org assessments, digital transformation framing, and Scaled Agile (SAFe) adoption planning. Half-day or full-day formats, remote or in-person.
All SAFe workshops are facilitated by me — a Certified SAFe® 6 Practice Consultant (SPC).
Well-suited for
- › AI strategy and prioritization session
- › SAFe / Scaled Agile adoption or rollout workshop
- › Product org or engineering org assessment
- › Executive leadership alignment
- › Transformation planning kickoff
Not sure which fits your situation? Start with an inquiry and we will figure it out together.
What Executive Colleagues Say
"He is wicked smart and very good at his job. He is intellectually curious and he contributed significantly in making Topgolf the huge success it became. I highly recommend him."
Ken May — Former CEO, Topgolf
"Michael actually has that rare blend of having maintained a deep technical knowledge alongside his leadership development and growth. This allows him to create a strong and agile technology development approach while inspiring his teams to excel in their outcomes and their own personal growth."
Andrew Macaulay — Chief Technology Officer, Topgolf Entertainment Group
"He quickly identifies the most important issues, has a managerial style that creates followership, and has the courage to diplomatically address sensitive topics. He simply drives results by leveraging technology to position any company to maximize business value."
Tommy Lee LaPlante — Former CIO, Topgolf (2012–2015)