Okta hires new channel chief

Bill Hustad has been appointed to the role of SVP of Global Partners and Alliances at the identity giant

Okta's new channel chief has said he will be spending "a lot of time" with partners while identifying "high-value market motions".

Bill Hustad has been appointed to the role of SVP of global partners and alliances at the identity giant, a move that sees him leave his former position of vice president of alliances and channel ecosystems at Splunk.

In a company blog post announcing his appointment, Okta said he will lead the global partner team and is responsible for its indirect go-to-market strategy, execution, and bookings globally.

Hustad said he is "looking forward to building" Okta's partner programme, saying it is "central" to the company and GTM strategy.

"A strong partner GTM strategy is one where everyone at Okta is invested in our partners' successes," he added.

"Partnering is a fun 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."

Speaking about his priorities, Hustad said he will "listen, learn and prioritise" and be spending time externally with partners.

He said: "First, I plan to spend time internally understanding how we measure and operationalise 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."

Hustad also wants to look at new opportunities, with him aiming to "explore places we are not doing business currently".

He said: "We need to identify high-value market motions, magnify those, and relentlessly execute. I'm constantly thinking about how we expand and leverage an ecosystem based on high value.

"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 value in the marketplace.