European digital identity company Signicat has appointed Keith Fenner as chief executive and Pete Daffern as chair, effective 10 November 2026, as it moves into its next phase of growth.
Fenner succeeds Asger Hattel, who steps down after almost seven years as CEO, while Daffern succeeds Johan Tjärnberg as chair. The company said the coordinated transition marked the start of its next strategic chapter.
Fenner brings more than 25 years of international software leadership experience, including senior roles at Microsoft, Sage, Galvanize and Diligent. Daffern has led and governed several private-equity-backed software businesses.
Digital trust and the AI threat landscape
The appointments come as generative AI raises the sophistication of fraud threats, from deepfakes to synthetic identity fraud and identity theft. Signicat provides identity proofing, authentication, electronic signing and orchestration tools for private and public-sector organisations.
“The foundation is exceptional, and my focus now is on scaling that success.”
Keith Fenner, incoming Chief Executive Officer, Signicat
Signicat said it has proprietary AI capabilities designed to detect and prevent digital identity fraud. It now operates from 16 offices in Europe, supported by more than 550 employees.
Next phase of growth
Under outgoing CEO Asger Hattel, Signicat expanded its reach through organic growth and eight acquisitions. The company now serves customers in regulated and high-trust sectors where secure digital transactions are critical.
Daffern said he looked forward to working with Signicat’s executive team to build on the company’s market position and pursue the opportunities in the digital identity sector.
