Drata Welcomes New VP of People: Jonathan Akhavan

We’re starting off May with some exciting news: Meet Jonathan Akhavan, Drata’s new VP of People. 

About Jonathan

Jonathan Akhavan joining Drata as VP of People is a testament to our investment in the team and scaling the business while ensuring a thriving culture. Jonathan is from San Diego but has been living in San Francisco the past 16 years. Some of his hobbies include kayaking, wine tasting, and splitting up dinner and dessert duties with his partner John. They live together with their rescue dog named Bruce (as in, Bruce Springsteen) and when Jonathan isn’t traveling, he’s reading up on the latest car news and releases. 

Professional Highlights 

With over 15 years of HR experience, Jonathan’s most recent role was SVP of People at Tonal. He led the company through substantial growth from 30 to 800 team members and took a product from stealth mode to a household name. His proudest work at Tonal was developing an inclusive culture as the company grew, and defining what strength means to encompass not just physical strength, but also mental health, living healthy lives, and making Tonal a community centered around belonging accessible to all people. 

He’ll collaborate with the Recruiting team to continue building and shaping the culture at Drata and ensure it’s diverse, inclusive, and scalable. 

Why Did You Join Drata?

Paired with the “best experience” as a candidate, where his meeting with CEO Adam Markowitz focused on vision, values, and culture, and the transparency on operational gaps, Jonathan appreciated the “level of vulnerability” that isn’t typically shown during interviews. 

What Are You Looking to Accomplish at Drata?

Already impressed with Drata’s onboarding process and the team’s immediate welcome, Jonathan aims to create a “people-first, employee-second” culture where everyone feels that they can be their authentic selves and have the right resources to support the company.

As a remote-first work culture, he wants to continuously instill that we are human beings first and foremost, and treating people with integrity and respect is essential to building a strong company—especially with Drata’s fast-track of growth. He knows building and maintaining culture is a long-term game but he’s looking forward to developing the scalable systems, processes, and programs to help us get there. 

Advice for People Looking to Join the Team

We asked Jonathan for his best tip for people currently interviewing at Drata (or any company), and he said, “In the interview process, you’re not doing yourself justice unless you’re being authentic. The best opportunities will open up when you’re being your true self because then you’ll know that the company gave you an offer because of what you bring to the table.” 

We couldn’t agree more. At Drata, we’re in the business of building trust—and we know it starts with our people—so be truthful and you’ll do great. 

We’re excited to bring on Jonathan and to continue expanding the Drata team. If you’re interested, check out our open positions here.