As AI agents increasingly act as the ones making the API calls rather than humans clicking through an app, the question of what’s actually on the other end of that call has become a lot harder to answer — and a lot more urgent. Approov, which builds mobile app attestation and API security technology, is putting new leadership at the top of its Board of Directors to help it capitalize on that shift, naming Rex S. Jackson as independent Chairman.
Jackson steps into the role succeeding Dr. Lucio Lanza, who has chaired Approov’s Board for years and will remain involved as a non-executive director going forward.
A Finance and Legal Operator Steps Into the Chairman Role
Jackson isn’t a typical security-industry appointment. His background spans more than 30 years of executive and board work across Silicon Valley technology companies, largely on the financial and legal side rather than in security or mobile engineering. He has held CFO and General Counsel titles at multiple public and private tech companies, most recently serving as CFO at ChargePoint during its merger and public listing. He currently sits on the board of Terra Innovatum, where he chairs the audit committee and also serves on compensation committees. He holds a J.D. from Stanford Law School and a B.A. from Duke University.
Approov CEO Ted Miracco framed the hire as suited to the company’s current stage of growth rather than its founding stage. “Rex is a rare combination of financial, legal and operational leadership, and he knows Approov deeply,” Miracco said. “As autonomous AI agents, mobile apps and APIs become the front line of enterprise security, the opportunity ahead of us is enormous. Rex’s experience guiding technology companies through their most consequential phases of growth makes him the ideal independent chairman to help take Approov to the next level.”
Recognizing the Outgoing Chairman’s Legacy
Dr. Lanza’s exit from the chairman seat comes after years of steering Approov through its early growth as an investor and board leader with deep roots in semiconductor and electronic design automation investing. Miracco credited him with shaping the company from its earliest days and backing its approach to cloud-based cryptographic mobile app attestation before the category had a name.
“Lucio’s conviction, vision and dedication have shaped Approov from the beginning,” Miracco said. “His belief in our technology and our team never wavered, and his fingerprints are on every milestone this company has achieved. We are delighted that the Board will continue to benefit from his counsel.”
For his part, Lanza connected the moment to the broader shift toward AI-driven software making automated calls to enterprise systems. “It has been a privilege to chair this Board and to watch Approov define a category,” Lanza said. “The question of whether software talking to your APIs is genuine — an authentic app, un-tampered, on a safe device — has never mattered more than it does in the age of AI agents. Rex is precisely the leader to guide Approov’s next chapter, and I look forward to supporting him and Ted from my seat on the Board.”
Jackson’s Read on the Opportunity
Jackson’s own comments suggest he sees the chairman role as a chance to help Approov scale into a security problem that’s only getting more attention as agentic AI spreads. “Approov solves a problem the entire industry is waking up to: proving what is on the other end of an API call,” Jackson said. “I have watched this team build remarkable technology and a business, and I am honored to serve as chairman. I look forward to working with the company to capture the opportunity ahead.”
The appointment received unanimous approval from Approov’s Board and shareholders, a group that includes investors Maven Capital Partners, Lanza Tech Ventures and Scottish Enterprise.
