David Desharnais

David Desharnais is a multidimensional technology CEO, product strategist, and enterprise operator with more than two decades of experience building and scaling businesses across AI, cloud, mobility, fintech, identity, robotics, and digital infrastructure. He has served in nearly every C-suite role—CMO, CPO, CDO, COO, President, and CEO—leading companies from VC-backed startups and PE-owned scale-ups to Fortune 50 enterprises through global expansion, complex M&A, organizational transformation, and the demands of public markets. His cross-functional fluency and execution discipline have made him a trusted advisor to CEOs, boards, and investors navigating scale, disruption, and inflection.

David is known for turning vision into velocity by coaching executive teams through zero-to-one platform builds, category creation, and multi-market growth across North America, EMEA, and APAC. He brings deep experience across commercial, government, and mission-critical sectors, with a proven ability to align strategy, talent, and operations to deliver measurable enterprise value. Respected for his clarity, decisiveness, and people-centered leadership, David partners closely with CEOs and boards to elevate execution, sharpen strategy, and lead with conviction.

He is a frequent contributor to national media on the future of digital infrastructure and technology, and co-author of The FinTech Book, a globally recognized resource for investors and entrepreneurs.

Professional Highlights:

• President & CEO of Rekor Systems – led the company’s reinvention into a category leader in roadway intelligence, launching the Rekor One™ platform, expanding into 93 countries, delivering triple-digit organic growth, and earning recognition as the fastest-growing public tech company in the region (2024).
• Global EVP and Chief Digital & Product Officer at IDEMIA – led a 3,500-person international team across highly regulated markets and drove a 5x increase in revenue. Modernized legacy product portfolio into scalable, cloud-native platforms and deployed the world’s largest biometrics and digital identity programs across India, Singapore, the UK, and North America, including TSA PreCheck.
• CMO of Industry Verticals Division at Amazon Web Services (AWS) – launched and scaled AWS’s first global vertical strategy, delivering cloud and AI solutions across 28 regulated sectors including healthcare, transportation, financial services, public safety, media & entertainment, automotive, and retail.
• SVP and GM of the Digital and Commercial Platforms Global Business Unit at American Express – created and scaled the company’s first global B2B digital banking and financial transaction platform, transforming commercial payments and achieving 483% revenue CAGR.
• Co-founding Executive and Chief Marketing/Product Officer at Traxpay – built the company from inception to a successful exit. Led global strategy, product, and go-to-market expansion into Europe and North America, driving platform adoption in multinational enterprise and financial institutions.

Outside the boardroom, David is an avid multi-instrument musician, passionate foodie, and endurance athlete who enjoys cycling, trail running, and exploring new cultures through food and travel. A committed lifelong learner, he is a voracious reader with a deep interest in leadership, behavioral science, and history. David actively supports several nonprofit organizations, including the National MS Society, The ALS Association, and the American Diabetes Association, and serves on U.S. national forums focused on transportation, infrastructure, and public-private innovation.

Originally from Canada, David has spent the past 30 years in the United States, living coast to coast with his wife and children. He has also lived and worked in France and Germany during his international career. Now based in the Washington, D.C. area, he brings a global perspective to both his professional and personal life.