NuData appoints company co-founder Christopher Bailey CEO

NuData Security announced today that SVP and CTO Christopher Bailey has been appointed CEO of NuData and executive vice president of EMV/Digital Devices at Mastercard. This appointment follows the retirement of Michel Giasson, who served as CEO of the passive biometrics company since co-founding it with Bailey in 2007. NuData was acquired by Mastercard in 2017 and has since nearly tripled its employee count.

Bailey is now responsible for NuData’s strategic vision and direction of user verification intelligence, and Mastercard’s Digital Devices division, including the creation of an integrated security path with EMV. He is expected to focus on evolving NuData’s technology stack into solutions that stretch beyond the login or device, and that evaluate and confirm the user from different angles every step of the way.

“I am delighted to announce Christopher’s appointment as CEO of NuData,” says Ajay Bhalla, president of cyber and intelligence at Mastercard. “Effective user verification has become critical amidst growing numbers of cyber breaches. Christopher’s diverse experience and deep security expertise will allow us to further scale NuData, while leveraging our technologies and products to transform the digital payment experience. I have every confidence in Christopher and the team seeing us through this next chapter.”

“Michel has been a mentor for me and is a reference for many in the cybersecurity industry, so it is a privilege to continue his legacy,” adds Bailey. “As CEO, I will ensure NuData maintains its focus on the two things that have always set us apart: unparalleled customer service and a work environment that fosters the creation of secure and innovative products. As the market shifts towards centralized authentication, NuData and Mastercard are uniquely placed to lead passive biometrics and user verification with security embedded into every level.”

Bailey previously founded H20, a gaming company for Nintendo, THQ and Sony, and Secure Networks, a web security company that was acquired by Network Associates.

In a visit to Kenya earlier this year Mastercard General Council Tim Murphy said the company plans to leverage NuData’s data analysis technology to improve the company’s ability to prevent payment fraud in the largely untapped Africa market.

Article Topics

appointments  |  authentication  |  biometrics  |  Mastercard  |  NuData Security  |  secure transactions