4 digital identity firms appoint new VPs, Okta expands board

Several biometrics providers have completed new executive hires over the last week. NEC Corporation of America welcomed Gary Lac as vice president (VP) of solutions, Alcatraz AI named Tad Druart VP of Marketing, 1Kosmos appointed Jens Hinrichsen as its senior vice president (SVP) of North American Sales, and iProov hired Ajay Amlani as SVP, head of Americas. Also, Okta expanded its board of directors with the addition of Emilie Choi of Coinbase Global.

NEC America appoints Gary Lac as VP of Solutions

In his new role, Lac will lead product standardization efforts with a focus on simplifying project deliveries and launching new products. Additionally, the executive will support state and local government, NEC National Security Systems (NSS) and digital services verticals.

“NEC is transforming the biometric and digital identity industry with world-class technology that is proven and trusted,” Lac says, commenting on the news.

“As our partners in law enforcement and governments transform to digital-first organizations, I’m excited to develop innovative solutions that will improve society and support our customers in their mission to create safe and secure communities.”

Prior to joining NEC, Lac was the head of Idemia’s Solutions Innovation team. In that post, Lac was in charge of digital identity solution development and delivery, as well as contactless fingerprint biometrics and facial recognition solutions for aviation and border control.

The hire comes months after NEC America promoted Marc Hebner to senior vice president and head of Enterprise Business in the Americas.

Alcatraz AI welcomes Tad Druart as new VP of Marketing

Druart will manage the company’s international marketing programs alongside its brand strategy, product marketing, and communications efforts.

The executive joins Alcatraz AI from his role as VP of global marketing at Eagle Eye Networks. Before that, Druart worked as chief marketing & revenue officer at Cantata Health.

“Alcatraz AI has built a great foundation and strong reputation as a leader in delivering innovation that makes work and living environments safer and more secure,” Druart says.

“I am excited to join an outstanding team that is focused on simply and quickly solving customer problems and working as a true collaborator with integrators and distributors to ensure our joint customers are delighted with our product and service.”

Druart joins Alcatraz AI at a time of growth for the company, which joined the Endeavor Entrepreneurs network of tech companies last May.

1Kosmos names Jens Hinrichsen SVP of North American sales

Hinrichsen has joined 1Kosmos after eight years as SVP of sales and business development at behavioral biometrics firm NuData Security, a Mastercard company. Before that, he held senior sales and marketing positions with Versafe, eBay, and RSA.

“The ubiquitous adoption of cloud computing and remote work has made identity, now more than ever, the new security perimeter and upped the ante for implementing identity-based authentication that cannot be spoofed by attackers,” Hinrichsen explains.

“1Kosmos has created a powerful and easy-to-use platform that establishes irrefutable digital identities for implementing bulletproof passwordless and multi-factor authentication. I look forward to helping the company capitalize on the big market opportunity in front of us.”

The hire follows a new strategic investment in 1Kosmos from security industry experts Gula Tech Adventures in June.

iProov hires Ajay Amlani as SVP, head of Americas

Amlani will now be in charge of expansion efforts related to iProov’s Genuine Presence Assurance and Liveness Assurance solutions across North America and Latin America.

“Governments and enterprises across the Americas desperately need to protect their customers and employees from identity theft and other cybercrime and iProov combats just that,” Amlani says.

“I look forward to working with the iProov team to bring trust, safety and reassurance to the government, travel, financial and healthcare sectors in the region,” he adds.

Before taking his new post at iProov, Amlani held executive roles at a number of digital ID and biometric-focussed companies, including Clear, Idemia, and Credence ID.

The addition of Amlani to the team seems to confirm iProov’s plans to expand its operations in North America, following a $70 million growth investment from Sumeru Equity Partners the company secured in January.

More recently, iProov announced it received a new certification for its liveness detection technology.

Okta expands board of directors with Coinbase COO

Okta appointed Emilie Choi, president and COO of cryptocurrency wallet firm Coinbase to its board of directors.

The move, effective from August 19, is aimed at expanding Okta’s expertise in digital identity standards further.

“It’s clear that identity is at the heart of every industry and every digital interaction,” Choi says, commenting on the appointment. “I look forward to working with Okta as the company executes on its mission of freeing anyone to safely use any technology and creating a world where your identity belongs to you.”

Choi joins Okta’s board of directors weeks after the company announced its revenues continued to grow during the first quarter of 2022, particularly thanks to the Auth0 acquisition it completed in May last year.

Article Topics

1Kosmos  |  Alcatraz AI  |  appointments  |  biometrics  |  Board of Directors  |  digital identity  |  iProov  |  NEC  |  NEC America  |  Okta