Toshikazu Osuga to Lead Next Phase of Auth0 Growth in Japan

TOKYO – March 18, 2021 – The Auth0 Identity Platform, a product unit within Okta, today announced Toshikazu ‘TJ’ Osuga as Country Manager for Auth0 KK. Significant customer wins in the region with enterprises like KONICA MINOLTA, Qrio, and the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry (METI), and industry demand for adaptable identity management, positions Auth0 KK well for continued growth in 2021. As Country Manager based in Tokyo, Osuga is responsible for achieving regional revenue targets, hiring and expanding the team, and forging strategic business partnerships.

A recent McKinsey survey found that 80% of Japanese executives agreed that “digital is a promising opportunity,” however, only 34% believe they are ready to promote their digital services. This gap signals an urgent need for mature digital transformation solutions and an opportunity for those who provide them. Identity sits at the front door of most digital experiences and positions Auth0 well to continue expanding its reach in Japan.

Osuga brings a wealth of experience to Auth0 in revenue generation, partnerships, customer success, and operations. He most recently served as Head of Sales at Google Cloud and was hired as Google Cloud’s first employee in Japan in 2005. He helped to start Google Cloud and build its single product business into a multiple-products business, including B2B SaaS and its Business Cloud business in Japan. Prior to Google Cloud, he served in various sales and business development positions at Sun Microsystems.

“Since Auth0’s Tokyo office opening in 2018, we have invested in growing the team with top talent and are excited to have TJ lead Auth0 KK and drive new opportunities,” said Eugenio Pace, CEO, and co-founder of Auth0. “Japanese companies are facing the complexities of digital transformation and privacy regulations, especially with recent amendments to the Act on the Protection of Personal Information (APPI), and identity management plays an integral role in both. We are a trusted technology partner to many Japanese enterprises and look forward to TJ’s leadership to continue expanding our reach in the region.”

“COVID-19 forced many companies to rethink their digital transformation strategies and has left many scrambling and reprioritizing their investments and efforts,” said Osuga. “This presents Auth0 with tremendous opportunity in the region to guide companies on a long-term journey of modernization. Identity management is an integral part of that process. Auth0 provides the right solution for enterprises who are looking for reliability, breadth, adaptability, and scale—and can help with any identity need, regardless of what transformation stage they’re in. I am thrilled to be joining Auth0 at this pivotal juncture.”

World Innovation Lab (WiL), an investor of Auth0 and contributor to its previous three funding rounds—Series D, E, and F—has deep roots and an expansive network in Japan and has played a large role in supporting the company’s growth in the region.

“It has been very exciting to see Japanese companies adopt Auth0’s identity solution as a foundational part of their infrastructures,” said Tsune Shirota, Partner at WiL. “From the moment we invested in Auth0, we had great confidence in its ability to execute in Japan. We welcome TJ to the team and will continue to provide our support and counsel as Auth0 enters its next phase of growth in the region.”

About Auth0

Auth0 by Okta takes a modern approach to customer identity and enables organizations to provide secure access to any application, for any user. Auth0 is a highly customizable platform that is as simple as development teams want, and as flexible as they need. Safeguarding billions of login transactions each month, Auth0 delivers convenience, privacy, and security so customers can focus on innovation. For more information, visit https://auth0.com.