Okta’s Core Values: Love Our Customers with Alexia Case

Our customers are at the heart of what we do, which is why “Love our customers” tops our list of core values. In this edition of our Core Values series, we’re excited to highlight Alexia Case, senior marketing manager, executive and strategic programs. Alexia embodies “Love our customers” daily through managing Okta’s Customer Experience Center, hosting multiple customers on site each week, and featuring customer speakers at tradeshows nationwide.

What does “Love our customers” mean to you, and why is it important?

Loving our customers means ensuring that they’re happy and successful. At Okta, we’re incredibly fortunate to have so many strong customer relationships. Our industry is a tight-knit community, so as customers talk with one another, they’re likely to mention our products and services. Moreover, our customers are always willing to serve as references, and we even have CIOs and CSOs who switch companies and then reimplement Okta. It’s important that we continue to nurture these relationships, take care of our customers, and always put them first.

Where do you see this core value exemplified at Okta?

Everyone at Okta is proud of our customers, so we always try to bring them front and center to share their stories. For example, we have several customers speak on Oktane’s main stage, host customer panels at our strategic events, and invite customers to join executive briefings at HQ. During a visit to Okta’s Customer Experience Center, customers can meet directly with our executives and product experts to have an open dialogue and share their feedback. We ensure our customer’s needs are being heard and their goals are being met, so we can continue to foster their success.

How do you embody this core value in your personal and professional life?

In my professional life, I strive to be a strong advocate for our Sales and Customer First teams, so they can leverage our Customer Experience Center and get as many customers on site as possible. At our strategic events, I encourage my team to highlight our customers at our theater sessions or by playing their testimonials at our booth.

In my personal life, I love talking to my friends who use Okta at their work because they tell me how easy we’ve made their day to day. I’m glad that my friends are also part of Okta’s happy and successful customer base!

Is it ever challenging to use this core value in your day to day—how do you overcome that challenge?

I’ve never experienced this; it would be a challenge not to love Okta’s customers!

Do you have any mentors or colleagues that have inspired you to use this core value?

There are two that come to mind. First, Ryan Carlson, our chief marketing officer, because he wants us to get in front of our customers whenever possible. According to Ryan, our customers are our biggest advocates, and they’re only going to be happy and successful if we put in the work to make them happy and successful. Ryan deeply believes in embodying the “Love our customers” mindset.

Second, Morgan Asher and her entire Customer Marketing team. Morgan’s role is uniquely dedicated to our customers and bringing their stories to life. I often have her team’s support on our strategic events to figure out how to bring more customers on site and engage them in our programs.

What advice do you have for how others can channel this core value?

Being aware of who your customers are is a great place to start. At Okta, we’re lucky enough to have so many customers across different verticals that it’s easy to feel empowered by them. It’s also important to be mindful of the customer resources available to you. For example, Okta employees can learn about our customers through visiting our customer website, watching customer journeys (e.g., Hertz, Dubai Airports, and the Norwegian Refugee Council), sitting in on customer briefings, and so much more.

If Okta had a sixth core value, what would it be?

Work hard, play hard. Okta is always on, especially for our customers, but we make sure to have fun along the way.

Anything else?

I feel proud to work at Okta, and our incredible customers are a big reason why!

Inspired by Alexia? Check out our careers page to learn more about our vision, core values, and #lifeatOkta. Interested in visiting us? Request a briefing through our Customer Experience Center: