Grit26 Juli 2021

CRO Okta, Steve Rowland: Identifying and Developing Future Business Leaders

When Steve Rowland studied at Texas A&M University to get his degree in engineering, he likely wouldn’t have expected that his career would shift into one of an extremely successful sales leader.

Over his 20+ year business career, Steve’s built successful teams at technology companies such as BMC Software, Appigee, and DataStax. Now, Steve serves as Chief Revenue Officer of Okta, a company selling identity security software.

On this episode of Go to Market Grit, Joubin and Steve talk about what Steve looks for in a company before deciding to join, the ins and outs of an acquisition integration, and the importance of leadership development.

In this episode, we cover:

How Steve's upbringing informed his work ethic. (1:46)
'The beginning of many career pivots': Steve's first job at BMC as an inside sales rep. (5:43)
Size, product, and leadership: What Steve evaluates in a company before deciding whether to join. (7:51)
Curiosity, relevance and new experiences: Why (and how) Steve continues to reinvent himself and his career — and his process for analyzing risk. (12:11)
Steve's current company, Okta, and its successful identity security software. (21:46)
How company culture can make or break an acquisition integration — and how change can lead to positive growth. (25:26)
Examples of the 'core DNA' Steve looks for in future leaders — and how he uncovers these unteachable qualities during job interviews. (32:26)
Working with potential leaders on their professional development. (40:36)
What the word grit means to Steve. (46:01)

Guest: Steve Rowland, Chief Revenue Officer at Okta

Links:

Connect with Steve
- Website: https://www.okta.com
Connect with Joubin
- Twitter
- LinkedIn
- Email: gtmg@kleinerperkins.com
Learn more about Kleiner Perkins

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