From a leadership and cultural standpoint, mergers and acquisitions are notoriously difficult to navigate. They necessitate a methodical approach to working with a new CEO and integrating teams into a single workforce – a path we are familiar with thanks to our recent acquisition of Auth0. Although Okta and Auth0 have certain distinctions — for example, we are more enterprise-focused; whereas Auth0 is more developer-focused — creating, the future of identity has always been a common ambition.
Eugenio Pace, the CEO of Auth0, and I have gone a long way in discovering the best methods to accept our differences, connect our employees, and learn the ins and outs of each other’s leadership styles since the purchase was completed earlier this year. Our experience thus far can help other CEOs navigate post-acquisition partnerships with a new co-CEO or other C-suite leaders. Here are some of my key insights from our year of collaboration.
Prior to an acquisition, it is a good idea to write down your company’s vision since it helps you clarify your goals in writing, which you can then easily discuss. I published a lengthy article outlining my five-year vision for Okta prior to our acquisition. While communicating Okta’s vision is an important part of my job as CEO, I had never done it in this type of written style (which ended up being 15 pages long!).
The activity gave me the opportunity to think about Okta’s progress over the last 12 years and what lies ahead. Our employees probably believe we are repeating ourselves when it comes to these integration priorities, but agreeing on principles has helped our teams maintain clarity and consistency throughout a period of transition.
Eugenio found it helpful in understanding my point of view as we began to figure out how we might effectively work and merge our two businesses. He had actually written a similar statement describing his expectations for success if we teamed up. These vision documents have assisted us in aligning our objectives and illustrating how we want to scale and capitalize on our enormous market opportunity.
Finding common ground and shared ideals with any new C-suite hire or partner aids in the development of a relationship. Eugenio and I both realized how important it was to follow the same “north star” integration guidelines: long-term growth, putting our customer’s first, continuous innovation, brand protection, and team empowerment. Our employees probably believe we are repeating ourselves when it comes to these integration priorities, but agreeing on principles has helped our teams maintain clarity and consistency throughout a period of transition.
Eugenio and I share leadership styles and personalities that complement each other, in addition to our mirrored core cultural ideals. We are both introverts with the same Myers-Briggs personality type (INTP), which translates to natural leadership chemistry. We both value responsible, dependable leadership and are familiar with one other’s work styles.
Eugenio has a strong experience in product and technology, so we can get very technical when discussing and making decisions about the future of our joint ventures. We can also successfully exchange and receive comments with each other because of our common background. Finally, knowing your new partner’s distinct personality and you similar (and different) will help you collaborate effectively, make faster decisions, and gain momentum quickly.
