Alex Atzberger believes in showing up. He starts his day at 5am with a cup of green tea and the same simple goal: talk to one customer a day. “Showing up is half of the game,” he says. And in today’s world of digital everything, presence still matters.
When he became CEO of Optimizely, the company was at a crossroads. Known for its roots in A/B testing, it was evolving into a broader digital experience platform–something that could help marketers and developers alike optimize content, commerce, and campaigns across channels. Atzberger didn’t just want to scale the company–he wanted to humanize it, because he loves marketing and he knows that good marketing starts with people.
Atzberger brought that people-first mindset into every corner of the business. “Culture is ever-evolving,” he says–but it doesn’t evolve by accident. He expects his team to act with urgency and clarity. “If there’s a snake in the building, kill the snake.” In other words: see something, do something. That bias toward action, combined with a deep respect for customers and colleagues alike, has helped fuel Optimizely’s transformation.
It’s a leadership style shaped by global experience. Before joining Optimizely in 2019, Atzberger spent nearly 15 years at SAP, where he held several key roles including President of SAP Customer Experience, President of SAP Ariba, and Chief of Staff to the Office of the CEO. In 2013, he was named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum. Despite his executive pedigree, he keeps his approach simple: talk to customers, respond quickly, and make people feel seen.
Atzberger doesn’t try to predict what’s next–he focuses on preparing his team to meet it. “The only predictable thing about the future is that it’s unpredictable,” he says. That means staying close to customers, moving with purpose, and building a culture that’s ready to adapt.
