Zwipe Names New CEO for ‘New Phase’ of Business

Biometric card specialist Zwipe has announced a change to its chief executive position. Robert Puskaric is stepping in, replacing André Løvestam.

Løvestam had led the company for over four years, overseeing the gradual development of its Zwipe Pay platform for biometric payment cards. The solution enables the production of credit and debit cards that feature an embedded fingerprint sensor, which can authenticate the cardholder during a contact-based or contactless transaction.

It hasn’t been a particularly lucrative enterprise, but that is due to the nascent nature of the biometric payment cards market. In recent months, Zwipe’s efforts have been focused on establishing strategic partnerships and achieving key certifications to lay the foundation for mass commercial deployments. A formal Letter of Approval from Visa was presented as an important milestone in Zwipe’s latest operational update.

In a statement announcing the sudden CEO change, Zwipe indicated that it was the decision of the company’s Board of Directors, and that Løvestam “will support the company during a transition period” before moving on to other professional opportunities.

“On behalf of the Board of Directors, I would like to extend my deep appreciation to André Løvestam for his efforts in leading Zwipe to its current position,” commented Board Chairman Jörgen Lantto. “André has taken the company through a series of major changes during a critical time for the company. We wish André all the best in the future.”

Zwipe’s announcement also highlighted the “long successful career” of its incoming CEO. Puskaric comes to Zwipe from a previous position as CEO of Sweden’s Eniro, a mobile app and digital marketing specialist, which he led from July of 2021 to last month. Before that, he spent over two years as CEO of Doro, a provider of telecommunications products and services for seniors. He has also held senior executive positions with Ericsson Mobile Platforms and ST-Ericsson.

Lantto, the Board Chairman, framed the CEO change in terms of a larger shift in Zwipe’s business operations.

“After several years of development of Zwipe Pay and Zwipe Access, Zwipe’s main products for biometric payment and access cards, the company is now entering into a new phase of engaging with our customers to bring biometric cards to consumers for commercial launch,” he explained. “We are confident that Robert’s successful history of managing complex commercial relations will be a perfect fit as the company enters this phase.”

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June 16, 2022 – by Alex Perala