Steve Cowper leads product strategy and management for NEC‘s Identity Cloud platform across Australia and New Zealand. His career spans technology commercialisation, professional services, and early-stage ventures, including roles at Fisher & Paykel Technologies, Fronde, and as co-founder of a digital advertising startup. At NEC, Steve led the work behind New Zealand’s first identity verification service accredited under the Digital Identity Services Trust Framework, and the partnership with Hospitality New Zealand to bring the Kiwi Access Card into the digital era. His focus is on making trusted digital identity practical and adoptable, connecting regulatory, technical, and market complexity into clear product direction and platforms that work for the organisations and people who use them.