Amber Gunst to Step Down as CEO of the Austin Technology Council in September

Amber Gunst is stepping down as the Chief Executive Officer of the Austin Technology Council in September.

Gunst has served in that role since May of 2018. She took over as interim CEO when Barbary Brunner left the organization to join an Austin-based tech company. Gunst had previously served as head of sales and membership services at ATC.

ATC, founded in 1992, has begun the search for a new CEO. The non-profit organization has locally founded companies and global organizations with Austin-based offices as its members. It currently has more than 200 members.

“When ATC was founded 30 years ago, Austin technology companies needed a voice in Austin. But today, Austin tech companies are the main driver of Austin’s economic miracle,” Scott Francis, CEO and Founder of BP3 Global and chair of the ATC executive committee, said in a news release. “ATC’s next CEO will help us re-imagine our organization’s role and responsibility in an era where tech companies are the mainstream drivers of our economy rather than the underdogs.”

Membership dropped 10 percent during the pandemic. But ATC pivoted to online programming in March of 2020.

As CEO, Gunst also oversaw the evolution of the CEO Summit and the expansion of membership benefits.

“It was important for me to give our board the time they needed to find my successor,” Gunst said. “The affection I have for ATC is abundant and my greatest wish is for whoever follows me to have a successful start to their tenure. It is not only best for them, but for our team, our board, and especially our members, who count on strong leadership to keep them involved.”

ATC will celebrate its 30^th anniversary in September with a battle of the bands event and tech awards.

“We are so grateful for Amber’s leadership and proud to support her in her next chapter,” Robert Alvarez, CFO at BigCommerce and member of the ATC executive board said in a news release. “The next phase of our journey will be the best one yet. We are excited to bring in our next CEO with the purpose and passion to help the Austin tech ecosystem thrive in the years ahead.”