In his nearly 20 years at Oracle, Jonathan Koop—who generally goes by Koop—has made the most of every opportunity to expand his perspective. His expertise spans product management, software asset management as well as strategic account management. He’s even traveled the world with us. “I’ve lived on the East Coast, I’ve lived on the West Coast, I have lived in Hong Kong, and then I’ve been a global leader since 2013.” As senior vice president of global license and advisory services, Koop leads the charge to help customers better leverage their investment with Oracle. He’s also a champion for inclusion in the workplace—a cause that has personal significance to him.
Navigating a new workplace
Koop was adopted from Colombia and raised in Boston, Massachusetts. He recalls being “one of one,” as there were no other people of color in the neighborhood. Years later, when he began his first job as the only person of color in the office, he found himself feeling the same way. “I just put my head down, did my job, and focused on my career and advancement,” he says. He eventually started looking for a job that would allow him to maximize his potential and found one in Oracle. He explains that back then, the technology industry was new and rapidly evolving. Many people were entering the field and feeling their way out, resulting in a relatively open environment., Working for Oracle opened his eyes to new possibilities to grow. “I’ve had a huge amount of opportunity to grow and evolve at Oracle,” says Koop. “I’ve moved up many different levels in my career. I’ve been able to try and fail many different times, and I’ve been given the latitude to do so.”
A widening perspective
Over two decades, he has met and collaborated with a wide variety of people across the company. Taking the time to understand each executive and customer—learning what drives them, what draws them to Oracle, and what challenges they face. This has been crucial to broadening his perspective. International travel has only enhanced these opportunities. Koop’s career enables him to work around the world and enjoy personal excursions along the way, with each global experience expanding his professional and personal outlook. “I can’t count the number of dinners I’ve had across the table with a diverse group of people just holding a meeting with my international management team” he shares. “I’ve had the opportunity to go to people’s homes and have dinner and meet the family. I think I am a more well-rounded person because of it.”
A champion for inclusion
Koop’s personal approach to diversity is very similar to his approach as a leader. To him, diversity means seeking out teams, individuals, and experiences that reflect the global environment we work in. Oracle is a multinational organization, made up of people of various ages, genders, religious backgrounds, and beliefs. Creating inclusive teams allows us to better represent the company and makes us more well-rounded, both on an individual and community level. “At the end of the day, I really want to make sure that we’re open and receptive and seek out people that are not like us and embrace them as people first,” Koop says. Building inclusive teams is a great start, but it’s important for leaders to champion inclusion in the workplace as well. Koop openly discusses equity and inclusion with his teams and encourages them to leverage diverse perspectives as they drive success. “It’s really important that we have folks on the ground, near our customers, that look like, talk, and have similar belief systems as our customers.” He’s a strong believer in leading by example and travels to meet his teams in their environment. “There’s nothing that can really replace experiencing traffic in Mexico City, or Jakarta, or in the Philippines.” he tells us. “I like eating a meal with my team in a restaurant that they’re familiar with and proud of. It drives this sort of togetherness, collaboration, and teamwork.”
The value of a mentor
When reflecting on his leadership journey, Koop highlights the support and guidance provided by his mentor, Juan Jones. The two met over a decade ago, just as Koop was stepping into his first senior role. “I benefitted hugely from having a person that had more tenure at Oracle, and who happens to be a person of color,” says Koop. “He was there to help me calibrate. He was a sounding board. He was an advocate, and oftentimes he just validated what was already on my mind. Equally important, he was honest with me.” As Oracle’s EVP, Global Support Renewals, SW Support Sales Global Operations, Juan shared strategies for handling high-pressure situations, offered direct professional feedback, and facilitated valuable networking opportunities. His wisdom was instrumental in guiding Koop through the challenges of leadership. After three years of hard work, Koop interviewed for a promotion to global vice president and got the role. He also committed himself to opening doors for diverse leaders at Oracle, just as his mentor had done for him. Juan was heavily involved in establishing Oracle’s employee resource groups (ERGs)—including the Alliance of Black Leaders for Excellence (ABLE) and the Oracle Latinos Alliance (OLA)—and invited Koop to be a sponsor. He embraced the opportunity and hasn’t looked back since. “It was to give back to the community and help the ERGs, which were in their infancy at the time,” he remembers. “I think an equally important aspect was to support my career, my visibility, and my leadership skills and present myself in a different way, both to my boss and to the execs.” From securing corporate support to representing the company at diversity events, Koop has played a big role in making ERGs what they are today. He also serves as a mentor to individuals across Oracle.“It’s about guidance, it’s about support, and it’s about helping them see the way, ask the right questions, and give critical feedback when needed.” He notes that mentors can learn a tremendous amount from their mentees as well. Sometimes, working with a struggling mentee helps Koop understand struggles within his own team. “I think it’s really this element of openness—openness of thought and being as receptive as possible to the people that are around me.”
Reflecting on heritage
For Hispanic Heritage Month, Koop considers the values that shaped him as a person and as a leader. While the tech industry has become more diverse over time, he still remembers how it felt to be “one of one” and what it took to embrace who he is. It wasn’t until he joined a teen group for Colombians that he reflected on race and being Hispanic. His connection with his heritage became much stronger in college. He made an effort to join organizations centered around people of color, including Black and Hispanic Student Unions, and worked as a resident assistant for a diversity-focused dorm. “I spent a lot of time learning and meeting a lot of people that had lived very different lives than I had and also experienced college and university in a different way.” The six months he spent in Colombia for a university exchange program proved to be most formative to his Latino identity. Before moving to Bogota, he’d never lived in an environment where Spanish was spoken. Suddenly, he was immersed in an unfamiliar culture with unfamiliar people speaking a language he wasn’t fluent in. “The experience opened me up to newness, to challenge, and being uncomfortable. It’s powerful going out on your own, throwing yourself in the deep end of a new culture.” When he started his career as the only person of color at the office, he drew from his past experience embracing the unfamiliar. This motivated him to work harder, dress better, and be a cut above the rest. “It’s made me a better person, a better leader,” Koop shares. “It has given me a little bit of a tougher skin. It’s pushed me to be focused. It ultimately comes down to openness and receptiveness—authentic and self-aware.” Hispanic Heritage Month reminds him to be thankful for the opportunities that he’s been given including the ability to work hard and be successful. He recognizes that each Hispanic person’s story is unique and feels strongly about supporting those who have had a tougher journey.
Above all, he is struck by the intersectionality of the Hispanic identity.
“Spanish-speaking people look very different across the world. I especially noticed this being in Bogota,” he says. “It’s just that intersectionality of being Hispanic. We come from all walks of life, and our journey and background and who we are as a collective, Hispanics are diverse.”
A leader’s responsibility
Stepping up as an executive takes a great deal of responsibility, and Koop is the perfect example of a leader willing to roll up their sleeves to make an impact. “It’s really important, as leaders, that we use the word ‘we’ as much as possible,” he says. “In a team, ‘we’ is the sum of all the parts and so you’re only successful because your teams make you so. Continue to embrace and celebrate them and all that they bring to the table.”
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