12 Questions - Q&A with Mark Batchelor

Welcome to this exclusive interview with Verosint’s CTO and co-founder, Mark Batchelor.

Mark is a brilliant technologist and solution architect who brings a contagious passion for cybersecurity and team building. He has a reputation for respectful leadership and a keen ability to develop trusted relationships and build strategic alliances. He loves to explore possibilities and push the limits of what’s possible when it comes to finding solutions for some of the most challenging identity security issues.

Let’s uncover what Mark is all about and how he views the path to success for Verosint and its customers.

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What about your past experience at Ping Identity and Chainalysis (or any other company) will be relevant to your work here at Verosint?

Through many years of experience in team building and technical selling, my past endeavors have equipped me with invaluable insights that directly translate to the work we undertake here at Verosint. We are confronting the most pressing challenges in cybersecurity, particularly in the realm of account fraud detection and prevention. This necessitates a deep understanding of the intricacies inherent in the complex identity security ecosystem. By integrating our innovative solutions seamlessly within this intricate framework, we can truly make a substantial impact in safeguarding digital identities.

I have developed a strategic mindset together with technical expertise and a collaborative spirit - all of these are necessary to drive Verosint forward in our mission to create a safer digital world.

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How do you approach building and maintaining relationships with key clients and stakeholders?

For me, it’s all about trust and problem solving. If the customer can’t trust you to do what needs to get done, and you aren’t actually solving their real problem, then it will be difficult to have a good relationship. I’ve had the privilege of being both a technical sales and CTO for software and SaaS offerings, but I also spent many years on the corporate side doing implementations. I have always thought this helped me see a customer's point of view.

Building strong relationships with customers requires listening and empathy. I really like to put myself in the customer's shoes to really understand and help find creative and effective ways to solve their problems.

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What kind of leadership will you bring to the team?  

I embrace a hands-off approach that emphasizes the power of assembling a team of exceptional individuals who are not only skilled but also deeply passionate about their craft. By providing them with the autonomy to excel, supporting them when necessary, and ensuring a shared sense of purpose, remarkable outcomes can be achieved. By establishing a level of trust and empowerment, people consistently surpass expectations, continually surprising us with their ingenuity and capabilities. That’s the leadership I bring to Verosint.

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Why did you decide to start Verosint?  

I have always aspired to set out on an entrepreneurial journey. So in part, I always figured starting my own company would be the next step. In collaboration with Steve Shoaff, we’re well on our way to a successful company we built from scratch. The inspiration for much of what Verosint is, came from my brief yet impactful tenure at Chainalysis. While there, I witnessed firsthand the integration of Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) into their cryptocurrency investigation product. I kept seeing the potential inherent in leveraging interconnected data to unravel complex issues and solve real problems during investigations.

I believed that if I could just harness and orchestrate data sets in real-time, allowing for unprecedented advancements within the realms of authentication, identity verification and any kind of high value identity interaction. The idea of being able to truly understand “who’s there?” is how it started for me.

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What are your top priorities for the rest of 2023?

Now that we are rolling with a fully developed and highly-scalable product and an unbelievably talented core team, the rest of 2023 is about growth. We are laser focused on helping customers solve one of the biggest identity challenges of the decade here and I see explosive growth potential over the coming years.

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What is your superpower that will help you succeed at helping our customers put an end to account fraud?

Superpower? Hmmm, well, I don’t know if I would call it a superpower, but I guess it lies in my laser-focus on building trusted relationships with customers. By truly understanding their unique challenges, I am able to collaboratively develop effective solutions that help put an end to account fraud.

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What’s your favorite feature of the Verosint platform?

Verosint’s SignalPrint Explorer. There's something great about being able to visualize your problems across your population. It tells a great story and paints a visual picture of all the account relationships and events taking place across the environment.

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What do you believe is the biggest challenge for digital businesses today?

The greatest challenge for digital businesses today lies in the pervasive vulnerability to fraud. It’s entirely too easy to commit fraud if you are so inclined. It’s complicated and unfortunately, still to this day, security isn’t always top of mind.

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Have you ever been the victim of account fraud?

Certainly, while I haven't personally encountered the specific type of account fraud that our customers often face, I can empathize with the repercussions of fraudulent activities. Like countless individuals in today's digital world, I, too, have fallen victim to the pervasive issue of credit card fraud. This personal experience serves as a stark reminder of the importance and urgency in addressing such threats to protect the digital identities and financial well-being of our customers.

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Tell us about your family or hobbies.

I have a wife of 23 years and two daughters. One of them is currently pursuing higher education at Illinois State University, which holds a special place in my heart as my own alma mater. Meanwhile, my other daughter is navigating the transformative years of high school.

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Where do you live and what’s your favorite part about your area?  

I live in the NW suburbs of Chicago, Illinois. My favorite part is generally the convenience of the area. Everything you need to live and raise a family is all right here.  My least favorite part? It gets stupid cold here.

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When did we start calling you Batch?

Batch has always been my nickname for as long as I can remember. My family lore says that it started with my Grandfather. He worked as a pipefitter for an oil company in southern Illinois for most of his life. His given name, Clarence, didn’t resonate with him and his fellow co-workers. So, they started calling him “Batch” which has become a popular nickname for nearly every male member of my family.

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