Longtime CEO of Integrated Biometrics Announces Retirement

“When he first joined Integrated Biometrics, Thies was just its fifth employee. Now, the company has a staff roster of nearly 100 people, and annual revenues of almost $50 million”

Integrated Biometrics will get a new chief executive soon, with current CEO Steve Thies having stepped down at the start of this week. Thies is retiring after leading the company since 2009.

Thies got his BSME in Mechanical Engineering the early 1970s, and has since enjoyed a long career including high-ranking executive positions with Purolator, Mark IV Automotive, Spartanburg Stainless Products, and The Reserve Group, an equity management firm that he joined as VP shortly before taking the helm of Integrated Biometrics, and at which he still retains his title.

When he first joined Integrated Biometrics, Thies was just its fifth employee. Now, the company has a staff roster of nearly 100 people, and annual revenues of almost $50 million. In a statement announcing his retirement, the company asserted that he oversaw “unprecedented growth” during his term, as well as the development of a number of flagship fingerprint scanning solutions including Integrated Biometrics’ Sherlock, Watson, Columbo, Kojak, and Five-O offerings.

“I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve accomplished under Steve’s leadership,” said Integrated Biometrics EVP David Gerulski, adding that Thies is “truly central to this company’s history”.

For his part, Thies said that serving as the CEO of an innovative company in a rapidly evolving industry was “a wonderful experience,” and acknowledged the “meaningful, long-term relationships” he has developed with employees, customers, and partners.

“During this time, the IB team conceived, designed, and manufactured awesome fingerprint sensors that are demanded by customers worldwide,” he said. “And, while my wife and I are still healthy, we want to explore, enjoy our family, pursue hobbies, and make each day count.”

The announcement of Thies’ retirement comes soon after the news that the company had established a partnership with Sciometrics to develop contactless fingerprint scanning technology for mobile devices. Integrated Biometrics says that Thies will act as a transitional advisor to the company’s incoming CEO through September, and that he will continue to advise the company in the future. As for the identity of the company’s next CEO, an announcement is expected in the coming days.

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July 20, 2021 – by Alex Perala