Anthony Bates
OktaAbout Anthony Bates
Anthony Bates, age 58, joined Okta’s board in June 2024 as an independent Class III director and serves on the Audit Committee. He is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Genesys Cloud Services, Inc. (Chairman since 2021, CEO since 2019) and brings extensive operating experience from prior senior roles at Microsoft/Skype, Cisco, GoPro, and Social Capital, as well as prior public company board service at eBay, GoPro, Sirius XM, Social Capital Hedosophia, and VMware .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Genesys Cloud Services, Inc. | Chairman; Chief Executive Officer | Chairman since 2021; CEO since 2019 | Current operating leader; cloud/contact center domain expertise |
| Microsoft Corporation | EVP, Business Development & Evangelism | Jun 2013 – Mar 2014 | Post-acquisition integration and ecosystem leadership |
| Skype Inc. / Microsoft Skype Division | CEO (Skype Inc.); President (MS Skype Division) | CEO Oct 2010 – 2011; President 2011 – Jun 2013 | Led Skype pre/post acquisition; large-scale consumer comms platform |
| Cisco Systems, Inc. | SVP & GM, Enterprise/Commercial/SMB | 1996 – Oct 2010 | Managed major business units; networking operations scale |
| GoPro, Inc. | President | Jun 2014 – Dec 2016 | Consumer hardware/software leadership |
| Social Capital | CEO of Growth; Vice Chair, SPAC board | CEO of Growth May 2017 – Jun 2018; Vice Chair 2017 – 2019 | Growth initiatives and SPAC governance |
External Roles
| Company | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| eBay, Inc. | Director | Mar 2015 – Jun 2022 | Prior public company directorship |
| GoPro, Inc. | Director | Jun 2014 – Jun 2018 | Prior public company directorship |
| Sirius XM Holdings, Inc. | Director | Sep 2013 – Feb 2016 | Prior public company directorship |
| Social Capital Hedosophia Holdings Corp. | Vice Chair (board) | May 2017 – Oct 2019 | SPAC board leadership |
| VMware, Inc. | Director | Feb 2016 – Nov 2023 | Prior public company directorship |
Board Governance
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Board class/tenure | Class III director; Director since 2024 |
| Independence | Board determined Bates is independent under SEC/Nasdaq rules |
| Committee assignments | Audit Committee member (Jeff Epstein, Chair; committee held 8 meetings in fiscal 2025) |
| Financial expertise | Board determined Audit members meet Nasdaq financial literacy; audit committee financial experts designated for current members |
| Attendance | Board held five meetings in fiscal 2025; each director attended at least 75% of board/committee meetings for their service period |
| Lead independent director | Jeff Epstein serves as Lead Independent Director; oversees independent director sessions and investor outreach |
Fixed Compensation
| Component (FY 2025) | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Cash fees | $22,494 | Fees earned in fiscal 2025 |
| Stock awards (grant-date fair value) | $530,064 | Initial director RSU grant value; granted at appointment |
| RSUs outstanding (as of Jan 31, 2025) | 6,099 units | Unvested RSUs covering Class A shares |
Non-employee director program structure:
- Initial RSU grant: $530,000 FMV, vesting annually over 3 years .
- Annual RSU grant: $245,000 FMV at each annual meeting; vests by next annual meeting or 1-year anniversary .
- Annual cash retainers: Board $35,000; Lead Independent Director $20,000; Audit Chair $26,000; Audit member $13,000; other committee retainers as specified .
- RSUs for directors accelerate upon a Sale Event (as defined in the 2017 Plan) .
Performance Compensation
| Element | Status | Metrics |
|---|---|---|
| Director performance-based equity | None | Okta’s non-employee directors receive time-based RSUs; no PSUs/options for directors disclosed . Okta broadly ceased granting options since fiscal 2022 and exclusively grants RSUs/PSUs, but PSUs apply to executives, not directors |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Potential Interlock/Transaction | Disclosure |
|---|---|
| Related party transactions involving Anthony Bates | No related party transactions involving Bates are disclosed; audit committee reviews related party transactions under a formal policy |
| Shared directorships with Okta suppliers/customers | Not disclosed in proxy |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Skills matrix indicates Bates’ strengths in technology/innovation, cybersecurity/privacy, global operations, senior leadership, public company boards, risk management, marketing/brand, and finance/accounting .
Equity Ownership
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Beneficial ownership (as of Apr 1, 2025) | “—” Class A shares listed; total ownership <1% (asterisk denotes <1%) |
| RSUs | 6,099 RSUs covering Class A shares as of Jan 31, 2025 |
| Hedging/pledging | Prohibited under insider trading policy |
| Ownership guidelines | Directors must hold ≥3x annual cash board retainer; as of most recent review, all non-employee directors (including Bates) satisfied the guidelines |
Governance Assessment
- Independence and oversight: Bates is an independent director on the Audit Committee, which met 8 times and oversees financial reporting, internal controls, risk, and related party reviews—supporting robust governance and investor confidence .
- Engagement: Board met five times in fiscal 2025 with directors meeting the ≥75% attendance threshold; audit committee report shows active oversight and interaction with the external auditor (EY) .
- Compensation alignment: Director pay mix is heavily equity-based (initial RSUs $530k; annual RSUs $245k) with no performance-based awards or options for directors, aligning with long-term shareholder interests through share-based vesting; RSUs accelerate only upon Sale Event per plan terms .
- Ownership alignment and risk controls: Stock ownership guidelines (3x retainer), anti-hedging/pledging policy, and compliance confirmation for all directors enhance alignment and reduce governance risk .
- Conflicts/related party exposure: No related party transactions involving Bates are disclosed; audit committee retains explicit authority over related party approvals—a mitigating factor for conflict risk .
- Shareholder sentiment: Okta’s 2024 say-on-pay received 93.0% support, and the company expanded executive PSUs following investor outreach—signaling responsiveness and compensation governance discipline (contextual to governance environment) .