Deval Patrick Joins Toast Board of Directors

BOSTON, MA, March 10, 2021 -- Toast, the fastest-growing restaurant management platform, today announced that Deval Patrick has been appointed to the company's board of directors, effective immediately.

Mr. Patrick, the first Black Governor of Massachusetts, served the Commonwealth for two terms from 2007 to 2015. During his tenure, Mr. Patrick helped revive the state’s economy through the expansion of affordable health care, initiatives aimed at promoting clean energy and biotechnology, and extensive investments in the state’s public education system. His public service dates back to 1994, when President Clinton appointed him to the nation’s top civil rights post, Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights. He was also a senior executive in two Fortune 50 companies and the founder and a managing director of the Double Impact Fund at Bain Capital, where he focused on mission-driven companies that delivered both strong financial returns and measurable positive social or environmental impact.

Chris Comparato, CEO of Toast, said: “We are honored to welcome former Governor Deval Patrick to the Toast Board of Directors. As a dedicated former public official, we look forward to leveraging his unique insights and perspectives on how Toast can bring meaningful change to the communities where we and our customers serve. Further, his deep understanding of the economy — combined with his years of experience leading top companies and investment firms — will play an integral role in strengthening our go-forward strategy as we continue to grow in evolving technology and restaurant industries. We could not be more thrilled to have him join our team.”

“Even before the current public health crisis, our economy was changing. I am proud to join a company which dedicated itself to lifting up the whole restaurant community — owners, servers, kitchen staff, suppliers — and making people’s lives better,” said Mr. Patrick. “I look forward to working alongside my fellow board members to help Toast power the success of restaurants of all sizes and support our critical local communities across the U.S.”

Currently, Mr. Patrick is a Senior Advisor at Bain Capital, and the Founder & Chairman of TogetherFUND, a political action committee launched to increase voter engagement among disenfranchised and marginalized voters. He also currently serves on the Boards of Directors of Twilio, Cerevel Therapeutics, Amwell, and Global Blood Therapeutics, Inc. In addition to his other significant accomplishments, Mr. Patrick is a Rockefeller Fellow, a Crown Fellow of the Aspen Institute, and the author of two books, “A Reason to Believe: Lessons from an Improbable Life” and “Faith in the Dream: A Call to the Nation to Reclaim American Values.”

Mr. Patrick joins current Toast board members: Paul Bell, operating partner at Lead Edge Capital; Kent Bennett, partner at Bessemer Venture Partners; Susan Chapman-Hughes, Director of the J.M. Smucker Company; Mark Hawkins, President & CFO Emeritus Advisor at Salesforce; Steve Papa, founder and CEO of Endeca (sold to Oracle for $1B in 2011) and current founder and CEO of Parallel Wireless; and, David Yuan, General Partner at TCV.

Restaurant owners and operators can learn more about Toast and schedule a personalized demo here.