As part of its push towards its forthcoming Beta launch, continuous authentication innovator Zally has appointed tech sector veteran David Webb as chairman.
As the former founder and CEO of 6point6, a digital transformation specialist that was acquired by Accenture in October 2023, Webb has made a considerable contribution to the worlds of tech, cybersecurity and fintech across his 35-year career. Now, as the new chairman of Zally, he will leverage his experience as the company further enhances its market presence and focuses on operational excellence.
Webb’s appointment is crucial to Zally’s strategic pursuit of a world-class leadership team, and reaffirms the company’s ambitions to expand rapidly on launch. Throughout his distinguished career, David has worked with clients from various sectors, encompassing public sector, defence and security, financial services, as well as numerous other private sector organisations. Still a developer at heart, David is exceptionally equipped to contribute significantly to refining Zally’s pioneering continuous authentication platform.
Zally’s CEO and founder Patrick Smith said: “I’m excited to have David in position as we set out to transform the world of authentication. With a background of growing a business from a solo venture to a company of over 450 people, David’s experience will be a hugely valuable resource as we navigate our own growth journey.”
As a seasoned cybersecurity expert, Webb understands the drawbacks associated with traditional, point-in-time logins, which continue to be widely used on the internet. Along with the broader Zally team, he believes wholeheartedly in the need for greater adoption of superior authentication methods, such as continuous authentication, which allow both companies and individuals to mitigate against current and future cybersecurity risks.
In Zally, Webb said he sees a solution capable of engendering this much-needed change and recognises the company’s ability to leverage behavioural biometric data. This will play an important role in the transition towards more secure authentication systems, while also enabling businesses across a wide range of sectors to boost conversions, ensure compliance, and deliver seamless customer journeys.
He added: “Zally’s approach to removing passwords is an absolute must in the world of cybersecurity. From the very legitimate security concerns of such methods to the highly concerning accessibility issues they pose to more vulnerable segments of our society, it’s clearly time for an overhaul in authentication. Zally has the potential to do that.
“I have understood Patrick’s vision for Zally since my first meeting with him, and I share his passion for transforming the world of authentication. It’s my ambition to help Patrick and the rest of Zally’s leadership team move faster as it progresses forward along its ambitious expansion plans, helping the company to establish the governance and management structures it needs to ensure rapid development and growth. Together, we will transform authentication once and for all.”
