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Okta, the leading independent identity provider, has bolstered its corporate governance with the addition of two prominent technology executives to its board of directors, signaling a strategic focus on securing the era of artificial intelligence.
Okta appoints Rob Bernshteyn and Paul Sagan to its board of directors, effective December 19, 2025.
The move aims to leverage their operational expertise in SaaS, cybersecurity, and AI for Okta's next growth phase.
CEO Todd McKinnon highlights the pivotal role of identity as the foundation for secure AI adoption.
Paul Sagan emphasizes solving cybersecurity challenges posed by new AI-led identities and threats.
Rob Bernshteyn notes identity security's critical importance, especially with rapid AI adoption.
The appointments coincide with the departure of board member Maggie Wilderotter.
The addition of Rob Bernshteyn and Paul Sagan brings deep operational and strategic experience to Okta's board at a critical juncture. As AI agents become more prevalent, securing their identities and interactions emerges as a paramount challenge. Okta is positioning its neutral identity platform as the essential layer to enable safe and secure AI adoption across enterprises.
Both new directors bring a wealth of experience from leading and advising major technology firms. Their backgrounds in scaling SaaS companies, navigating cybersecurity landscapes, and guiding AI strategy align directly with Okta's declared mission to be the foundational identity partner for this new technological shift.
Okta's leadership framed the appointments as essential for the company's future trajectory. “Rob and Paul bring a wealth of operational experience across SaaS, cybersecurity, and AI that will help drive Okta’s next phase of growth,” said Todd McKinnon, Okta CEO and Co-Founder. “Their expertise comes at a pivotal moment, as identity becomes the foundation for secure AI.”
The new board members echoed the significance of identity in the current landscape. “Okta has proven that identity is critical to securing every major technology shift from mobile to cloud and, now, AI. I’m excited to work with Todd and the board to solve one of the biggest cybersecurity challenges we face as a new wave of AI-led identities and threats become reality,” said Sagan.
Bernshteyn added, “Identity security is one of the most critical technologies for any organization today, and, with the rapid adoption of AI, it will only become more important. Okta has a massive opportunity ahead of it and I look forward to contributing to the company and board.”
The company also announced that Mary Agnes (Maggie) Wilderotter stepped down from the Board, with McKinnon extending thanks for her service. These board changes underscore Okta's commitment to evolving its strategic oversight to capitalize on the expanding role of identity security in an AI-driven world.
Rob Bernshteyn is a General Partner at ICONIQ Capital, a venture capital firm, which he joined in February 2024.
Mr. Bernshteyn has over three decades of experience in the business software industry. From February 2009 to May 2023, Mr. Bernshteyn served as Chief Executive Officer and Chair of the Board of Directors at Coupa Software Inc., a provider of business spend management. From June 2004 to February 2009, he held various roles at SuccessFactors Inc., a cloud-based HCM solution provider, most recently as VP, Global Product Marketing & Management. From June 2001 to May 2004, Mr. Bernshteyn served as Director of Product Management at Siebel Systems, Inc.
Mr. Bernshteyn has served on the board of directors of PTC, Inc., a global technology provider of internet of things and augmented reality platforms, since September 2024. Mr. Bernshteyn previously served on the board of directors of Medallia, Inc. from June 2019 to October 2021.
Paul Sagan is a Catalyst Advisor at General Catalyst, a global venture capital and private equity firm, where he advises internet software, services and infrastructure companies on strategy and execution. Mr. Sagan joined General Catalyst in 2014 as an Executive in Residence and served as a Managing Director from 2018 to 2020.
Previously, Mr. Sagan held various leadership roles at Akamai Technologies, Inc., a publicly-traded cloud computing and cybersecurity company. Akamai’s fifteenth employee, Mr. Sagan was Chief Operating Officer from 1998 to 2005 and Chief Executive Officer from 2005 to 2013. He was elected to the board of directors in January 2005 and served as Vice Chairman from 2013 until 2015.
Mr. Sagan began his career in broadcast television news. From 1991 and 1996, he was a senior leader at Time Warner, Inc. a former multimedia entertainment company, where he helped establish the first consumer broadband service, one of the first web portals for internet advertising, and a 24-hour cable news service.
A seasoned public company director, Mr. Sagan currently serves on the board of Moderna and Thomson Reuters. He was a director of VMWare from 2014 until its acquisition by Broadcom in November 2023, serving as lead independent director from February 2015 to November 2023, and previously was a director of Digitas, Dow Jones, EMC and iRobot.
Okta, Inc. is The World’s Identity Company™. We secure identity, so everyone is free to safely use any technology. Our customer and workforce solutions empower businesses and developers to use the power of identity to drive security, efficiencies, and success — all while protecting their users, employees, and partners.
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