Former IDEMIA Exec is Aware’s New CEO

A former IDEMIA executive is Aware, Inc.‘s new Chief Executive Officer. Robert – or “Bob” – Eckel joins the Aware team as both CEO and a new member of the Board of Directors, while previous CEO Kevin Russell has been named the company’s Chief Legal and Administrative Officer.

Eckel served as CEO of MorphoTrust starting in 2011, ultimately becoming the CEO of IDEMIA’s North American division after Safran Identity & Security – MorphoTrust’s parent company – merged with Oberthur Technologies to form IDEMIA. Needless to say, in his high-level executive position, Eckel oversaw considerable corporate change until he left IDEMIA in 2018.

Eckel has been serving in advisory roles for Columbia Tech, Sonavation Inc., Evolv Technology, and Henrae LLC. He officially took the helm of Aware starting on September 19th.

Commenting on his appointment in a statement, Eckel highlighted his experience in the biometrics industry. “I’m excited to be joining an Aware team known for its customer relationships, employee dedication and exemplary domain knowledge and passion. Together we’ll continue to expand Aware’s leadership position in the industry and bring effective biometric technology into people’s lives,” he said, adding later, “My background in secure identity solutions, biometrics technology, and complex systems will help me drive this mission for Aware.”

Eckel joins the Aware team as the company seeks to promote its Knomi mobile authentication platform, which Russell indicated was generating encouraging market interest in Aware’s latest quarterly update. For his part, Russell will continue to serve on Aware’s Board of Directors as he carries out his new duties as the company’s Chief Legal and Administrative Officer.

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September 20, 2019 – by Alex Perala