Markus Zirn
About Markus Zirn
Markus Zirn serves as the Chief Strategy Officer and a founding team member at Workato, where he has played a significant role in the company's growth and success since 2015. With prior experience at Splunk, Oracle, and Booz Allen & Hamilton, he has a strong background in product management and strategy.
Work at Workato
Markus Zirn serves as the Chief Strategy Officer and is a founding team member at Workato, a position he has held since 2015. He has played a crucial role in the company's growth from a small team to over 900 employees. Zirn was responsible for securing $400 million in funding across five rounds. He contributed significantly to the sales strategy by securing the first 25 customers and hiring the initial sales team. His efforts led to Workato being recognized as a leader in the Forrester Wave and the Gartner Magic Quadrant for five consecutive years.
Previous Experience
Before joining Workato, Markus Zirn held several key positions in notable companies. He worked at Splunk as Vice President of Product & Solutions Management from 2012 to 2015. Prior to that, he spent nine years at Oracle as Vice President of Product Management from 2003 to 2012. Zirn also worked as an Associate at Booz Allen & Hamilton from 1995 to 1999 and served as a Product Management & Marketing Consultant to the CEO at Accruent for one year from 2002 to 2003.
Education and Expertise
Markus Zirn has a strong educational background in engineering and automation. He studied Electrical Engineering at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), where he earned his Master's degree from 1990 to 1996. He also studied Industrial Automation at ESIEE Paris, achieving a Master's degree from 1994 to 1995. Additionally, Zirn completed his Master's thesis in Multimedia Group at the University of Southampton in 1995. He was a recipient of the German Academic Scholarship Foundation from 1990 to 1996.
Achievements in Automation and AI
Markus Zirn has been instrumental in the development of the 'Automation League' movement at Workato, aimed at enhancing the consulting and ISV ecosystem. He has successfully negotiated significant OEM deals and has been a key figure in establishing Workato's reputation in the automation industry. Zirn discusses topics related to AI, automation, and integration on his podcast, 'The New Automation Mindset Podcast,' where he features leaders from top companies.