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Robert L. Dixon, Jr., grew up in an American company, within the household products company Procter & Gamble and the beverage company PepsiCo. He now joins the Board of Directors of Okta's $ 14.57 billion identity management company, where he hopes to bring the "voice of the customer".
"The more I was studying about Okta, the more excited I was and the more conversations I had with [ Okta CEO Todd McKinnon] and the management team, the more excited I am too, "Dixon told Business Insider.
At Procter & Gamble, Dixon held various management positions, while at PepsiCo he held the positions of Director of IT Systems and Senior Vice President. Although it is consumer companies, he adds that they had a "very important focus on technology". Today, Dixon is the owner of The RD Factor, Inc., a consulting firm.
"We needed someone who was a CIO to bring the point of view of a buyer," McKinnon told Business Insider. "More importantly, the challenge is to ensure that a large company that is not a technology company does not help it to evolve its technologies."
McKinnon says Okta is moving his venture capital board to more corporate executives, and Dixon is another step in that direction. McKinnon said Okta was looking for someone who could advise on his strategy of collaborating with consumer companies, and that Dixon was "by far the best candidate."
"If you look at the chart, we have a lot of experts in a lot of things, we did not have any one who was a customer, someone who would buy Okta in a big company, especially someone who has looked at the technology of the manufacturer's goal of "I am a big traditional company," said McKinnon. "It's an important role."
Dixon first heard of Okta from a colleague. In doing so, he also contacted Shellye Archambeau, the former CEO of MetricStream who joined the Okta Board of Directors last December. She suggested he take a look at the opportunity to join the Okta Board of Directors.
Read more: She helped a company define a new market. Shellye Archambeau, former CEO of MetricStream, joins Okta for $ 7.4 billion
Since he previously worked in consumer businesses that sold household products or beverages, Okta has a different activity since his product is technology. Dixon says that it brings information about marketing and relationships with IT leaders.
"For the most part, technology was a determining factor for product research and development and its integration into the value chain from the business model to the consumer," Dixon said. "Technology was a catalyst, and in a high-tech company like Okta, the product is a technology."
Dixon says he's looking forward to helping Okta manage his growth.
"The way they grow up right now is astronomical," said Dixon. "I look forward to expanding their business and working with management to channel growth."
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