IDPro, Shufti Pro, Iris ID, Genetec, Signicat, ID.me, Lumeo select new executive leadership

It has been a busy stretch for human resources departments at biometrics and digital ID providers, with IDPro, Shufti Pro, Iris ID, Genetec, Signicat, ID.me, and Lumeo announcing new hires in the executive space, while cybersecurity expert Jim Routh was appointed to the board of directors of the Accountable Digital Identity (ADI) Association.

IDPro enlists new executive director and president

Heather Vescent, a futurist and digital technology consultant, joins IDPro as its latest executive director and president.

Vescent, a Biometric Update columnist, is an established expert in digital identity and cybersecurity with years of volunteer experience with the World Wide Web Consortium and the Association of Professional Futurists. She will aid IDPro’s volunteer working groups and the board of directors to improve the role of digital identity professionals within the industry community, according to a press release.

“The COVID-19 pandemic caused me to take a deeper look at my personal goals and what I hope to achieve in my professional career,” says Vescent. “I want my work to make a bigger impact and have more opportunities to mentor and influence others. This shift in perspective led me to my new role with IDPro and I am very excited to apply my business operational skills and help shape the rapidly growing identity industry.”

Andrew Hindle, chair of the IDPro board of directors, says he is “delighted” that Vescent joined the organization.

Shufti Pro adds three to leadership team

Shufti Pro has appointed Graeme Rowe as its chief marketing officer to tap into the experience he has gained in B2B start-ups with Nimble Storage, IronPort, and in the biometrics industry with voice recognition provider Pindrop.

The company has also named Patrick Kelly as its new Head of Sales for the Americas and Christian Wheeler to the same position for Europe. The announcement comes on the heels of a $20 million Series A funding round by Shufti Pro to fuel the global growth of its biometric KYC services.

“I am proud to welcome Graeme, Patrick, and Christian to the team. It’s because of Shufti Pro’s position as a leader in the digital ID market that we’re able to attract top-calibre talent across all functions, from sales and marketing to technology, and customer experience,” says Victor Fredung, the CEO of Shufti Pro. “I believe the vast experience of Graeme, Patrick, and Christian will be irreplaceable to Shufti Pro as we accelerate our growth strategy.”

Iris ID recruits electronic security veteran as sales manager

New Jersey-based Iris ID picks Abraham Peniche as the Latin America regional sales manager to increase sales of its iris biometric software and solutions and build customer relations throughout Mexico and Central and South America.

A press release describes Peniche as having 23 years of experience in electronic security with firms like Carbyne, Genetec, OnSSI, Observint Technologies, and Tyco Fire and Security.

Mohammed Murad, vice president of Iris ID, says about Peniche, “He met or exceeded sales goals at each stop in his career. And he goes well beyond sales, creating strong bonds working with his customers to develop cost-effective plans for security upgrades. Abraham is a great fit for our LATAM operations.”

Signicat makes flurry of managerial appointments

Norway’s Signicat has hired or promoted four employees to push forward its plans for international growth.

Pinar Alpay, a former senior vice president at Worldpay/FIS, joins Signicat as chief product officer and a member of its executive management team. At Worldpay/FIS, she organized strategy around the payment processor’s core product families and reformed its technology architecture. She also previously worked for Bain & Company as a strategy consultant, and Barclaycard International as head of strategy and planning.

She will replace Roger Klausen, who has decided to leave Signicat for an external opportunity. Klausen will remain with Signicat until October.

Alpay says she hopes to address issues like money laundering, advance push payment fraud, and other societal issues with digital identity.

Arne Vidar Haug, co-founder and currently chief strategy officer, is elevated to chief global solutions. His role entails strengthening the commercial focus of Signicat on large international accounts across markets.

Atul Randev is promoted to chief of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) and strategy. Randev’s background comes from consulting, where he was a member of Bain & Company and Arkwright. He previously supported Signicat with three acquisitions since he joined in May 2021.

Thijs Vink, former general manager of Benelux & Germany, is now chief of Central and Southern Europe. The region is described as a growing commercial field for Signicat, which the company stresses with its acquisitions of Dutch identity company Connectis and Spain’s ElectronicID. Vink’s work history comes from Oracle and Ingram Micro. He says he is “thrilled to build on Signicat’s momentum and contribute to shaping the future of this forward-thinking business across Europe.”

Genetec names new chief product officer for APAC region

Montreal-based Genetec taps Leon Langlais as its first chief product officer for the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region to match the area’s needs for the company’s biometric and video surveillance offerings.

Langlais was previously vice president of Infrastructure Product Groups at Genetec, and has 25 years of experience in physical security industry across strategic product marketing, engineering, product and general management roles in access control, intrusion detection, and video surveillance.

Genetec says the position is newly created and based in Singapore to connect regional priorities with its main objectives. The company notes its steps in the region such as integration of its security and biometric solutions with Singapore’s Changi Airport, Western Australia’s Public Transport Authority, Seoul’s Gimpo airport.

“We are experiencing significant growth in APAC, and with Leon’s appointment, we are putting in place the necessary infrastructure to support the unique needs of our customers in this important region,” comments Guy Chenard, chief commercial officer at Genetec.

ID.me brings on new chief people officer

ID.me has appointed Anand Mehta as chief people officer as part of its goal to draw in technical talent and foster its innovation culture.

Mehta was the chief people officer of real estate technology company Compass and head of people and talent at hedge fund Bridgewater Associates.

He says about his new role: “Top tech professionals are seeking positions where they can make a meaningful impact in the world. ID.me’s mission is to make the internet more trusted and accessible for everyone. This mission and the competitive, diverse, and passionate culture is the perfect pairing for innovation and growth.”

Lumeo adds VP of engineering

Computer vision firm Lumeo chooses George Joseph as its vice president of engineering, noting his history of building strong engineering and program management organizations.

Joseph brings over 25 years of experience in technical and managerial experience in cellular and mobile technologies, and a track record of end-to-end product development, operations, and international trial support. His background lists five years as the president and founder of IoT consulting firm Innovation & Design Warehouse Technologies, and executive director at Qualcomm Technologies.

“I am excited to join the Lumeo team as its growth has definitely captured the eyes of the industry,” says Joseph. “I feel that my experience with developing edge management platforms, integrating IoT devices, and developing mobile applications meshes perfectly with Lumeo’s vision to accelerate development of video and vision AI solutions.”

ADI appoints Jim Routh to board of directors

The ADI Association has announced the appointment of long-time cybersecurity figure Jim Routh to its board of directors.

Routh has a storied history as chief information security officer (CISO) across numerous companies. His resume lists being CISO of American Express, Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation, KPMG, Aetna, CVS Health, and MassMutual. He also served as board chair for the Health Information Sharing & Analysis Center and board member for the Financial Services Information Sharing & Analysis Center.

He also boasts industrywide recognition such as being in the CSO Hall of Fame and being twice selected as Information Security Executive of the Year.

Commenting on his new role, Routh says, “Advanced authentication that enables a digital consumer to be issued one accountable digital identity used for all digital services is within range, provided there are industry-wide standards for interoperability in place. I support the efforts of ADI to develop these standards.”

Article Topics

ADI Association  |  appointments  |  biometrics  |  digital ID  |  Genetec  |  ID.me  |  IDnow  |  IDPro  |  Iris ID  |  Lumeo  |  Shufti Pro  |  Signicat