Aware Inc. Names David Traverse as Interim CEO, Effective January 2025

Aware, Inc., a leading global biometric authentication company known for its Knomi mobile authentication platform, has announced the appointment of David Traverse as Interim Chief Executive Officer and President, effective January 1, 2025. The appointment follows the resignation of Bob Eckel, who will step down as CEO on December 31, 2024, after serving in the role since September 2019.

Under Eckel’s leadership, Aware significantly expanded its mobile biometric authentication offerings and successfully navigated the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic by adapting its solutions for remote authentication needs. The company has recently seen improved financial performance, particularly in its subscription-based services.

Traverse will serve as interim CEO while the company conducts its search for a permanent chief executive. The Board of Directors has indicated that the CEO search is progressing well, with an announcement expected in the near future.

Traverse brings significant financial leadership experience to the interim role. He joined Aware in April 2020 as Corporate Controller and has since held progressively senior positions within the company, including his appointment as Principal Financial Officer and Treasurer in October 2023 and promotion to Chief Financial Officer in June 2024.

Prior to joining Aware, Traverse served as Vice President and Corporate Controller at SeaChange International from November 2018 to April 2020. He previously held the position of Vice President of Finance and CFO at Artel Video Systems from October 2015 to October 2018. His earlier career experience includes roles as Vice President of Finance at both Scratch Wireless, Inc. and AccuRev. Traverse, who holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the University of Massachusetts Lowell, has also worked as a Certified Public Accountant at several public accounting firms.

The leadership transition comes at a crucial time for the biometric authentication industry, as organizations worldwide increasingly adopt these technologies. Recent developments include Vietnam’s mandate for biometric authentication in online banking and growing implementation of passwordless authentication solutions across various sectors.

“We want to express our deepest gratitude to Bob for more than five years of dedicated service to Aware and his unwavering commitment to advancing adoption of biometric authentication,” said Brent P. Johnstone, Chairman of the Board at Aware. “We are excited about the candidates and progress we have made in our CEO search, the results of which we expect to announce in the near future.”

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January 03, 2025 – by the ID Tech Editorial Team