New Okta Channel Leader: Partners Crucial to Go-to-Market, Expansion
Okta plans to bring more enablement and cross-sell opportunities to its partner base.
![Business meeting Business meeting](https://eu-images.contentstack.com/v3/assets/blt10e444bce2d36aa8/blt895e0ebc55045970/65241bfbf17ac52ae0a3e9ee/2-Business-Meeting.jpg?width=700&auto=webp&quality=80&disable=upscale)
Shutterstock
Channel Futures: Why did you want to take this role with Okta?
Okta’s Bill Hustad: Secure access to technology has never been more important. We see data breaches and cyberattacks on an almost daily basis. And that’s what Okta sets out to do. We’re helping organizations worldwide securely connect the right people to the right technology, at the right time. Giving our customers a smooth experience in navigating systems, tools and resources is one thing, while adding a layer of security is what sets us apart. This allows our customers to meet their security goals and free up time to focus on the business.
Okta is also born in the cloud – 100% SaaS. And given the dynamic nature of the market, the opportunity for partners to win is huge. From the growth of multicloud and hybrid cloud environments, to the rise of remote work and the proliferation of applications, identity is at the heart of it all. And Okta is a company’s core identity engine. Every digital interaction requires identity, from moving to the cloud, modernizing security, and building digital products and services.
CF: How will your previous experience with Splunk come into play in this new role?
BH: I think a lot of the things that I did at Splunk also gravitated me toward Okta. Splunk is on a journey to becoming a SaaS company, and in that journey, it forces you to really think about different motions and market relationships, and partnerships that the ecosystem provides uniquely to SaaS companies and value back to customers.
Thinking about the principles of SaaS, and motions around solution creation and solution providing, we can actually start creating full-stack solutions for customers, where it’s Okta and other technology partners combining to drive value in the marketplace.
I’m also looking forward to closely collaborating with our partners and doubling down on the areas that are working well. Together, we’re expanding to new countries and geographies and driving real value in the marketplace.
CF: What’s your take on Okta’s channel strategy and partner program?
BH: I look forward to growing Okta’s partner program so that it is even more central to our overall company strategy [go-to-market] motion. A strong partner GTM strategy is one where everyone at Okta is invested in our partners’ successes. Partnering is a fun and valuable job. Think of it this way: Not only do we get to be part of a great company like Okta, but we also get to see inside many other great businesses. Our job is to inspire, create predictability and secure joint wins that grow both businesses and drive wildly happy customers.
CF: How do you plan to improve Okta’s GTM strategy?
BH: We need to identify in-demand market motions, magnify those and relentlessly execute. I’m constantly thinking about how we expand and leverage an ecosystem based on the values brought by opportunities at hand. We can explore places where we are not doing business currently. A broader partner ecosystem will help us expand to new countries and geographies. Also, partners can actually start creating full-stack solutions for customers, using both Okta technology and other technology partners, that can drive unique value in the marketplace.
CF: What’s at the top of your to-do list?
BH: Listen, learn and prioritize. First, I plan to spend time internally understanding how we measure and operationalize our business. I’m also looking to connect with peers internally to understand where we’ve been winning and where our opportunity lies.
I’ll be spending a lot of time externally with our partners, learning and asking them about what’s working, and how we’ve been creating customer satisfaction together. From there, I’ll take action and communicate our efforts, performance and the opportunities ahead.
CF: What are the biggest issues facing Okta’s partners and how will you address those?
BH: The pandemic forced every company, regardless of industry, to accelerate their move to digital technology at scale. This creates an opportunity for us to renew our focus on developing a vast network of partners to help accelerate our customers’ journey to the cloud, making it easier to focus on key business outcomes. Our partners are also continuously challenged to maintain flexibility and a fast pace when it comes to digital transformation and cloud migrations, needing to securely support the move to both private, public and hybrid cloud environments. Our partners see these and are being called upon to help solve for current customers and future customers. Identity is core to all of these transformations.
One particular area we’re focusing on is bringing more enablement and cross-sell opportunities to our partner base. When it comes to identity, selling a workforce identity solution is very different from selling a customer identity solution. Uniquely, I see a great opportunity with our ecosystem and customer identity. Many projects are emerging solutions that customers are leaning on our partners to help solve and add value.
CF: What are the biggest issues facing Okta’s partners and how will you address those?
BH: The pandemic forced every company, regardless of industry, to accelerate their move to digital technology at scale. This creates an opportunity for us to renew our focus on developing a vast network of partners to help accelerate our customers’ journey to the cloud, making it easier to focus on key business outcomes. Our partners are also continuously challenged to maintain flexibility and a fast pace when it comes to digital transformation and cloud migrations, needing to securely support the move to both private, public and hybrid cloud environments. Our partners see these and are being called upon to help solve for current customers and future customers. Identity is core to all of these transformations.
One particular area we’re focusing on is bringing more enablement and cross-sell opportunities to our partner base. When it comes to identity, selling a workforce identity solution is very different from selling a customer identity solution. Uniquely, I see a great opportunity with our ecosystem and customer identity. Many projects are emerging solutions that customers are leaning on our partners to help solve and add value.
In the months ahead, Okta channel partners will become more crucial to the company’s go-to-market (GTM) motion. They’ll also help the company expand into new geographies and countries.
That’s according to Bill Hustad, Okta’s new global channel chief. Okta hired the Splunk veteran to replace Steve Dodenhoff, who recently left the company.
Okta’s Bill Hustad
Hustad was with Splunk more than five years and most recently was vice president of alliances and channel ecosystems.
As senior vice president of global partners and alliances, Hustad will lead Okta’s global partner team. Steve Rowland, Okta’s chief revenue officer, said Hustad is known for driving long-term growth with strong business development practices.
Before Splunk, Hustad was president and CEO of Baynote. Kibo acquired Baynote in 2016 and it became Kibo Commerce, a provider of unified commerce solutions. Hustad was then Kibo Commerce’s general manager.
See our slideshow above for a Q&A in which Hustad outlines his plans for Okta channel partners.
Want to contact the author directly about this story? Have ideas for a follow-up article? Email Edward Gately or connect with him on LinkedIn. |
About the Author(s)
You May Also Like