Mark Settle

Okta's chief information officer

Mark Settle is a former chief information officer of Okta, the identity and device management provider for cloud and mobile enterprises. In a Metis Strategy interview from February 2017 he was described as leading Okta's global enterprise IT strategy and operations and working with the executive team to align technology initiatives with business goals. The interview does not say when he joined or left Okta, and Okta's current press-room page does not list him.^[1]

Earlier CIO roles

Metis lists his earlier chief information officer roles at IHS, BMC Software, Oxy, Arrow Electronics and Corporate Express.^[1]

Education

Settle holds bachelor's and master's degrees from MIT and a PhD in geological sciences from Brown University, according to the Metis biography. The unusual scientific grounding for a technology executive is part of why his career is often discussed as a move from the lab to the corner office.^[1]

Truth from the Trenches

He is the author of Truth from the Trenches: A Practical Guide to the Art of IT Management, which Metis describes as synthesizing practices he has used as a CIO.^[1]

What he discussed in 2017

In the February 6, 2017 Technovation conversation, recorded at Metis Strategy's Washington, DC headquarters, he covered the difference between leadership and management, using financial management to build IT's credibility, moving IT and business partnerships beyond the transactional, demand management, attracting talent in Silicon Valley, innovation labs, and how IT shapes customer relationships. He also touched on agile methods, DevOps and integrations.^[1]

Why he matters

Settle is a representative of the long-tenured CIO who has run IT at several companies of different sizes, from software vendors to a distributor and an energy business, and who wrote down the lessons for peers.^[1]

On The Executive List

Mark Settle is ranked No. 68 on The Executive List (October 2026) in the Chief Information Officers discipline. The ranking reflects The Executive Review's own editorial Trending Score; it is not an outside award, and placement on the list is never sold. View the October 2026 edition.