Don Holman, Senior Marketing Executive at Tradepoint, a technical solution to the between-trading partner promotion collaboration issue (sold to DemandTec a publicly traded firm):  "We asked Mike to join our avisory board just as we were entering the market, based on both my experience and our CTO's experience working with Mike in the past. 

We knew that even with a strong collaborative solution, adoption would be complex and that we would have a challenge establishing value across trading partners. 
Mike revised the marketing strategy, positioning, sales targeting and even the details of the presentation points.   His work helped make our value proposition clear, concise and compelling.  It also helped shaped our development effort.  These elements continue to be within the backbone of our service today." 

Ted Gladson, Founder of Gladson, the largest CPG product information company (sold in 2005 to Mike and a PE company):
" Over the last 20 plus years, I relied on Mike's vision and industry knowledge to grow my company into the largest product information database in the Industry.

We (gladson) were caught in a pitched price battle for market share with three competitors. I had known and worked with Mike, and over lunch one day he suggested we buy our largest competitor, the number two player in the market.  Mike spent time analyzing the conglomerate which owned that competitor and came up with a strategy which he and I executed resulting in a deal that satisfied both parties.  It also completely changed the profit platform of my company.
Five years later, Mike came back with a vision for the company to play a much broader role in the product information arena.  It would require some retooling and repositioning the company.  He bought the company and successfully took advantage of understanding a timing shift in the Industry that few if any others have seen."

Steve Frenda Senior Marketing Executive at In-Store Marketing Institute:  " After Nielsen bought my company (Majors) they did not have a clear plan for integrating the unique, aggressive talent that came with the purchase.  Mike was handed the "problem" and figured out a way to stem the talent drain, and to engage several of the acquisitions brightest and best in roles that both suited them, and helped Nielsen regain its stature as an information powerhouse. 
In my case Mike helped me wade through the red-tape and establish a new role for Nielsen, that of visionary for the use of information technology in the client sales force. That was the start of adding a dimension to Nielsen’s consumer insight research which had, until that point, been limited to brand management.      

 Craig Hamilton, President at StoreEyes, a unique startup technical solution to in-store execution inspection:  “We spent a considerable amount of time with Panther Mountain in the early days of our company, honing both the product capabilities, and the benefits statements for the primary target customers.  Mike was instrumental in helping us formulate our strategic thought regarding elements critical to our long term success.  He continues to help us move the company forward today.”