PE-backed ProofID, the pure-play identity security specialist delivering advisory, implementation and managed services, has appointed Neil Evans as its first Chief AI Officer.
The newly created role will lead Manchester-based ProofID’s transformation into an AI-native business.
He will be tasked with building the company’s AI-native delivery capabilities internally, developing new AI-powered service offerings for customers, and positioning ProofID as the recognised leader in AI-enabled identity services across EMEA and the Americas.
Evans brings more than 30 years of technology leadership spanning software engineering, product innovation and C-suite roles across enterprise software and professional audio.
He most recently served as Cloud and Mobile Engineering Leader at Music Tribe’s Midas Division and previously spent five years as CTO (EMEA) at UNICOM Global, directing emerging technology strategy across natural language processing, AI, machine learning and blockchain.
He holds a Master of Engineering in Microelectronics Systems Engineering from the University of Manchester.
Tom Eggleston, CEO of ProofID, said: “This is a people-first transformation as much as a technical one.
“Technology is the enabler, but it’s the mindset, behaviours and capability of our people that will determine whether we succeed in becoming AI-native, while staying true to who we are – the identity security specialist our customers already trust.
“Neil has spent his career leading exactly that kind of change, and he’s the right person to drive it end-to-end.”
Evans joins ProofID’s senior leadership team and said: “This is a rare opportunity to lead a transformation from the inside – not just advising clients on how to become AI-native, but building that capability into ProofID itself.
“The technology is the easy part. The real work is bringing our people with us, so we can deliver AI-powered identity services at the level our customers expect.”
In 2022, Maven invested £15m in the business, which operates across more than 160 countries, protecting more than 50 million identities and supporting more than 100 million daily transactions.
Its clients operate in a range of sectors, including financial services, education, healthcare and the non-profit sector.