Christian Rota appointed new ANZ Okta director of alliances and partnerships

Has three major priorities for his first year as alliances lead which include driving growth and creating a collaborative ecosystem.

Okta has appointed Christian Rota as its new director of partnerships and alliances for the ANZ region where he will continue to champion the company’s partner ecosystem.

In his new role, Rota will be responsible for the success and growth of Okta’s partners. Some of his priorities include, expanding relationships with various partners, strengthening partner capability, and assisting partners with their customer outcomes.

With more than 20 years’ experience across the region, including eight years at AWS serving on the partner core leadership team, with his most recent role leading AI Partnerships in ANZ, Rota has a track record of driving partner engagement, building co-sell capability and delivering measurable growth through alliances.

Mike Reddie, VP and general Manager Okta ANZ said, “Okta is continuing to invest in a partner-led growth strategy across ANZ, and Rota brings deep experience building and scaling high-performing ecosystems.

“As identity becomes increasingly central to cloud, security and AI initiatives, Okta is focused on strengthening its ecosystem so partners can play a larger role in helping customers design, implement and operate identity and secure AI at scale."

Rota believes a “partner first” approach is the “critical driver” of Okta’s regional growth and customer success.

“I intend to bring this “Partner First” force multiplier to life by building a world-class, collaborative ecosystem where our partners feel like an extension of the Okta team,” he said.

“With strong support of our sales leaders we will foster a culture where every internal team understands and champions the value our partners bring.”

In the first year of his tenure, Rota has three main priorities, driving measurable partner-led growth, creating a collaborative ecosystem, and build a future-ready partner capability.

"This means a laser focus on building the plans and providing the support to increase partner-sourced pipeline, accelerating deliberate co-sell and field alignment with focus partners for joint deal registrations, and ensuring our partners are leading successful customer implementations and renewals,” he said.

“Growth is the ultimate measure of a healthy ecosystem.”

Rota told CRN Australia it is a “fantastic time” to be an Okta partner.

“Identity is the new frontline for security, especially in the age of AI. As organisations look to secure every identity - from workforce and customers to machines and AI - our partners are the trusted advisors who help customers navigate that complexity,” he said.

“My focus is on building a world-class ecosystem where we plan together, sell together, and win together, delivering exceptional outcomes for our shared customers.”

Reddie said there will not be a change in partner strategy but a “significant acceleration”.

"As customer environments become more complex with cloud adoption and the rise of AI, partners are no longer just important, they are essential trusted advisors,” he told CRN Australia.

“Rota’s appointment signifies a deliberate focus on deeper integration, more ambitious joint planning, and empowering our partners to lead the way in delivering a unified, secure experience for customers."

Okta’s partners from the region include CyberCX, Versent, Telstra Purple, AWS, Thunderlabs and Deloitte.

Rota replaces Craig McGregor who is now leading alliances for MyCiso.