Evolv Technology expands Executive Team with new appointments as company accelerates growth

Evolv Technology has announced the appointments of a pair of executives with proven track records for guiding high-growth digital technology companies into global market leaders. Eric Pyenson joins as General Counsel from VMware Carbon Black (part of Carbon Black, Inc.) and A.J. De Rosa as Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) from Orbital Insight.

Evolv just completed its most successful year since being founded in 2013. Scaling operations across all functions, the company is the world’s first and only commercially successful provider of artificial intelligence (AI)-based touchless security screening systems.

Evolv Express

Evolv Express is deployed worldwide and has been used to screen more than 50 million people

Evolv Express is deployed worldwide and has been used to screen more than 50 million people, second in numbers only to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Transportation Security Administration (TSA).

Pyenson is a veteran technology industry lawyer and management executive with broad private and public company experience, including managing multiple initial public offerings (IPOs) and strategic transactions, as well as building respected in-house legal teams.

Technology industry expert

He joins Evolv as general counsel from VMware Carbon Black, where he served as vice president and general counsel of the Carbon Black Security Business Unit following VMware’s US$ 2.1 billion acquisition of Carbon Black in 2019. Previously, as Carbon Black’s General Counsel and a member of the executive team, he helped lead its US$ 175 million IPO in 2018.

He also served in a similar role with A123 Systems, which had one of the most successful IPOs in the clean technology sector. Notably, he has significant international and security experience serving the U.S. government on counterterrorism matters earlier in his career.

New sales and revenues head

As Evolv’s new Chief Revenue Officer (CRO), De Rosa is responsible for all sales, business development, customer success and strategic partnership initiatives. Most recently, he served as CRO at Orbital Insight, where as head of all client-facing operations, sales, customer success and marketing efforts he helped the company to establish a global leadership position in the geospatial analytics sector.

With expertise in advanced sensors, data analytics, SaaS-based models and sales optimisation methodologies, he brings to his new role more than 25 years of experience scaling global sales organisations, building strategic relationships and driving customer success.

Combining vision with advanced technologies

We’re living in chaotic, stressful times and having a sense of safety has never been more important"

Earlier in his career, as Senior Managing Director and Co-head of Global Sales at Eze Software Group, he built a team that grew annual sales in excess of US$ 100 million.

“We’re living in chaotic, stressful times and having a sense of safety has never been more important,” said Evolv Technology’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Peter George, adding “Evolv identified early on that human security had to be fundamentally rethought in order to provide substantially better outcomes – capable of addressing known threats as well as risks that would inevitably present themselves in the future.”

Peter further said, “By combining our vision with advanced technologies, we’re leading that digital transformation. We’re thrilled to welcome Eric and A.J. to the team. They’ll play important roles as we accelerate our growth and keep even more people safe around the globe.”

Digital transformation of physical security

Evolv is leading the digital transformation of physical security, one that is touchless and addresses the ‘new normal’ threat of pandemic viruses as well as concealed weapons. Using AI software and powerful sensors, Evolv Express can screen up to 3,600 people per hour, 10 times faster than legacy approaches such as metal detectors, hand wands and manual inspections.

The system enables social distancing at entrances and other security checkpoints, while minimising person-to-person interaction, requiring no stopping, no emptying of pockets or removing bags.

Screening technologies deployed at various sites

People being screened simply walk through naturally, alleviating potential crowding and long lines while greatly reducing contact between guests, employees and security staff.

In use at hundreds of outdoor entertainment venues, cultural landmarks, corporations, warehouses, schools, hospitals, stadiums and large-scale events worldwide, Evolv’s customers include Six Flags Entertainment Corporation, L.L. Bean, Wynn Las Vegas, Oakland International Airport, two South Carolina school districts, Hersheypark, Set Jet, the Biltmore Estate and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. By using Evolv Express, organisations optimise the performance of their security teams, while reducing screening expenses by as much as 70 percent.