Leadership Team

Ajay K. Amlani is a recognized leader in identity and defense technology, having spent over two decades driving innovation in biometric authentication and security. He co-founded the entity that would become CLEAR, now serving 12 million members across 43 airports, and founded YOU Technology, a mobile-first retail loyalty platform acquired by Kroger. Earlier in his career, he held leadership roles at iProov, IDEMIA, General Motors, PwC, Baxter International, and CSX Transportation.

As a White House Fellow and Senior Policy Advisor at the Department of Homeland Security, Ajay led biometric security initiatives, and later helped launch the Department of Defense’s Defense Innovation Unit to advance cybersecurity and AI. He is also a proud advisory council member of the Women’s Coaching Alliance.

Ajay earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Michigan, and Stephen M. Ross School of Business.

Brian Krause brings over a decade of experience in biometric and digital identity technology to his role as Chief Revenue Officer. Prior to joining Aware, he led North American operations for Incode, driving rapid market expansion. He also played a key role in scaling Veriff into a global leader in identity verification, and led the North American expansion of Anyvision, delivering advanced biometric solutions for real-time surveillance networks.

Earlier in his career, Brian held sales and leadership roles at AT&T, Panasonic, and Pivot3. He began his career on Wall Street, working at Smith Barney and Babson Capital Management.

Brian holds a B.S. in Accounting and Finance and an MBA from the Questrom School of Business at Boston University.

Lona Therrien brings over 15 years of strategic marketing experience in the cybersecurity industry to her role as Chief Marketing Officer at Aware. She has a proven track record of building high-performing teams and executing go-to-market strategies that drive demand, accelerate growth, and enhance brand visibility. In 2024, she was honored as one of the Top 50 Women Chief Marketing Officers, recognizing her leadership and results-driven approach.

Previously, Lona served as CMO at ExtraHop, where she spearheaded a company-wide rebrand and overachieved marketing revenue targets for pipeline and bookings growth. She has also held senior marketing roles at Cybereason, Mimecast, RSA, Symantec, and @stake, consistently delivering impactful brand and revenue outcomes.

Lona holds a B.A. in Communications from the University of Georgia and a M.A. in Communications from Miami University.

David Traverse has been Aware’s Chief Financial Officer since June 2024 and has an extensive background in finance and public accounting. Mr. Traverse joined the company three years ago as Vice President and Corporate Controller. Prior to joining the company, Mr. Traverse was Vice President and Corporate Controller at SeaChange International and Vice President Finance and Chief Financial Officer at Artel Video Systems. He has also worked as a Certified Public Accountant at several public accounting firms. Mr. Traverse received a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the University of Massachusetts Lowell.

Dr. Mohamed Lazzouni has been Aware’s Chief Technology Officer since November 2019, and currently serves as a board member of Epochal Technologies, Inc., a provider of demographic data solutions. Prior to joining Aware, Dr. Lazzouni served as President and CEO of Epochal Technologies, Inc.; President of the Anti-Counterfeiting Business and Chief Operating Officer at Authentix, Inc., a provider of authentication solutions; Chief Technology Officer and Senior Vice President of MorphoTrust USA, LLC, a provider of identity assurance solutions; and as Chief Technology Officer and Senior Vice President of Viisage Technology, Inc., a provider of identity verification technology. Dr. Lazzouni received his Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Oxford, his Master’s degree in Physics from the University of London, and his Bachelor of Science degree in Physics from Badji Mokhtar University, Annaba (UBMA).

Lindsey Savarino has been leading human resources at Aware since April 2020. She leverages her more than 10 years of experience in talent acquisition, learning and development, operations, and compensation to ensure Aware maintains its strong culture as it grows. Mrs. Savarino has a proven track record of creating cultures of collaboration and implementing change to achieve workforce excellence. Prior to joining Aware, Mrs. Savarino was most recently human resources director at AssuriCare. In addition, she previously held HR roles at IDEMIA and NDCP. Mrs. Savarino has her B.A. in Psychology from Framingham State College and her SHRM-CP certification.

Burak Sahin is an innovative technology leader whose career spans nearly 3 decades in biometrics and identity. He has held leadership roles in addition to many years of deep technical experience in the field at companies including Northrop Grumman, Deloitte and Daon, ranging from research & development to technology evaluation, from program management to advisory across a broad range of public and commercial sectors.

Burak has helped governments build large-scale biometric identity systems for security and national identity serving hundreds of millions of citizens, as well as private companies offering innovative biometric solutions to employees and customers alike. His innovations have resulted in more than 15 patents; he has been a panelist and speaker in industry events and authored many publications, including two early public reports on the emerging threat of deep fakes published by the Department of Homeland Security.

Burak received his MBA from Georgetown University, and M.S. and B.S. degrees in Electrical Engineering from The Ohio State University and Bogazici University.

Sarah Eckert has served as Aware’s legal counsel and corporate secretary since June 2021, working cross-functionally with the rest of the Leadership Team, as well as members of the revenue and technology organizations to spearhead compliance initiatives, including GDPR and privacy programs, and to create scalable processes to drive growth. Prior to joining Aware, Ms. Eckert worked in private legal practice, including most recently as an associate attorney at Regnante Sterio LLP where she provided a comprehensive range of legal counsel to a diverse business clientele. Ms. Eckert received her Juris Doctorate degree from Boston College Law School and her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Pittsburgh.

Mario Santos is the VP of Global Solutions at Aware, Inc. He holds a Computer Science degree from the University of São Paulo (USP), an MBA from Fundação Getulio Vargas (FGV-SP), both in Brazil, and a postgraduate degree in International Business from Harvard Extension School. With his extensive experience in various industries, such as IT solutions, software, and biometrics, Mario has demonstrated his strategic vision by helping companies identify opportunities, establish partnerships, and collaborate on innovation.