Rooted in high school memories, Greg's love story is a testament to enduring bonds. Celebrating 35 years of marriage, their union has witnessed their daughter's academic pursuits and their son's high school adventures. A cornerstone of his achievements, Greg frequently applauds the unwavering support from his partner.
1. Greg Pierson: A Visionary Serial Entrepreneur
Born and raised in Portland, Oregon, Greg Pierson is a serial entrepreneur who embodies the qualities of
leadership, innovation, and unwavering determination. Credited with inventing device-based reputation
systems, he is best known for revolutionizing their application in online fraud management and
consumer authentication.
Humble Beginnings
He grew up in North Portland with his parents and younger brother. At the age of 8, the family relocated
to a modest home in Northeast Portland, which remained his parent’s residence for over forty years. It
2. was in this environment that parents modeled hard work and dedication. His father served as a facilities
manager, while his mother, an English teacher, instilled in him a love for language and learning.
A Love Story Spanning Three Decades
High school sweethearts, He and his wife have been married for an impressive 35 years. Together,
they've nurtured a family, with their eldest daughter currently pursuing higher education and their
youngest son navigating high school. Pierson credits his success to a supportive life-long partner and has
said many times that he couldn’t have done any of it without her.
Venturing into Business: Laying the Foundations
His career journey began during his tenure as a consultant with Accenture, where he demonstrated an
extraordinary ability to find solutions to complex business problems. He made valuable contributions to
distinguished organizations such as Nordstrom, Bridgestone Firestone, and Land's End, leading teams in
the implementation of large-scale business systems and associated process changes.
Pioneering Innovations
He is characterized by an unyielding spirit of innovation. Over the years, Greg Pierson has co-authored
and been granted multiple patents in the fields of fraud management, end-user authentication, and
secure transaction processing.
Building Prosperous Enterprises: A Testament to Vision and Teamwork
While he possesses an exceptional aptitude for problem-solving, his true gift lies in building robust teams
capable of turning vision into reality. A clear vision, positive shared culture, and effective conflict
resolution are recognized as keys to the success of his companies.
As co-founder and CEO, he has twice transformed sketches on the back of a napkin into rapidly growing,
profitable, high-margin global businesses with hundreds of employees. Although the services offered by
these companies were distinct, they both boasted exceptional teams, strong cultures, and exceedingly
satisfied customers. Every team member held equity in both companies, which ultimately achieved
successful exits north of $650 million.
Awards and Accolades
While being recognized as an Entrepreneur of the Year Finalist by Ernst and Young for driving growth,
innovation, and community involvement is noteworthy, Pierson takes greater pride in the awards earned
by his teams. Over the years, his last company received numerous awards from industry and professional
3. organizations, including distinctions such as the InfoSecurity Products Guide: Fraud Prevention Winner,
IDnext: Identity Innovation Winner, and Fortress Cyber Security: Authentication & Identity Winner.
iovation and TransUnion
In 2018, he had led iovation as CEO for fourteen years. At that juncture, 35,000 brands globally relied on
iovation for device-based intelligence to support authentication and fraud management. iovation
screened billions of transactions and prevented over 500,000 fraud attempts daily.
4. In June of 2018, TransUnion acquired iovation, heralding an exciting promise of merging device and
identity-based consumer intelligence. Both entities recognized seemingly boundless opportunities to
create innovative services to dramatically improve consumer experiences and security.
The success of iovation was largely attributed to its people and culture. At the time of acquisition, 20% of
employees had tenures exceeding 5 years, with 10% surpassing the 10-year milestone. Equally telling of
the positive atmosphere was the fact that 10% of the team was affectionately referred to as 'retreads,'
individuals who had left to pursue other opportunities but were irresistibly drawn back to the company's
magnetic culture. iovation was also renowned for its exceptionally generous personalized ‘bucket-list’
ten-year anniversary gifts. One employee fulfilled a life-long dream of swimming with great white sharks
off the coast of South Africa.
After continuing as CEO for the first year, Greg Pierson assisted TransUnion in finding a new leader. He
continued to support the transition in a global strategy role until finally stepping away at the close of
2020.
Coaching and Advising
After two decades as CEO, he has directed his focus towards mentoring other CEOs, providing advisory
services and investing in startups. Whether supporting large organizations, private equity firms,
government agencies, or startups, the common thread is Internet services and big data analytics. He
revels in connecting with ambitious people taking on complex challenges, infusing the same energy and
determination that he used to run his own companies.
Examples of his personal investments include ChemDirect, Qlash, and OpenContext.
Racing and Adventure: A Shared Passion with His Son
A considerable portion of Pierson's time is now dedicated to nurturing his son’s racing career. In 2020, is
16-year-old son was signed by a world-class team to race a 200mph prototype race car in the FIA World
Endurance Championship. This journey across continents has deepened his love for travel, blending the
joy of witnessing his son’s growth with the thrill of exploring new places, cuisines, and cultures.
Aligned With Noble Causes
He acknowledges his success with profound gratitude and actively seeks meaningful ways to give back.
He proudly supports organizations like Self Enhancement, Inc., which empowers young adults facing
challenging circumstances. In addition to direct giving, he has provided college scholarships to at-risk
youth in his community, and remains accessible for speaking engagements, mentoring, and any form of
support he can provide.
5. The Future
While Greg Pierson is clearly relishing his semi-retirement, a glint in his eye and a subtle 'for now'
suggest that there may be more on the horizon. It might only be a matter of time until the perfect
opportunity arises. He remains receptive to leading another venture at some point, with a long queue of
investors and colleagues eager to collaborate with him once more. For now, he finds contentment in
coaching and advising. And why not? He is savoring the fruits of his labor and relishing the chance to
explore the world with his family. His journey is one of persistence, deserving of both admiration and
emulation.