VICTORIA, BC – June 26, 2025 – Earlier this summer, we welcomed a new person to Certn’s leadership team. Saba El-Hilo has joined Certn as our new Chief Technology Officer. Saba brings a ton of experience and vision to the table, and her arrival marks a big move for Certn as we double down on building the most trusted digital hiring infrastructure, right when application fraud, deepfakes, and ID issues are heating up across remote teams.
As more companies hire remotely and credentials go digital, verifying identity and background info securely isn’t just nice to have, it’s essential. Saba brings deep tech and cybersecurity experience to the table, helping us build even smarter, safer infrastructure to respond to growing risks.
“The team’s bigger, the systems are messier, and our AI stack is growing faster than our ability to govern it, so we hired Saba. Not because we ‘needed a CTO,’ because we needed this kind of CTO,” emphasized Andrew McLeod, CEO and co-founder of Certn. “Saba understands clear architecture, reliable data, modular systems, and dev environments where people and AI can collaborate effectively.”
With leadership roles at Mapbox, Signal Sciences (Fastly), Unbounce, and Neo Financial, she has a proven track record of using data and AI to deliver trustworthy digital products.
In this episode of What the FTE?, Saba shares her take on what it takes to lead well in fast-moving environments, from staying disciplined and communicating clearly to embracing AI’s role in shaping the future of work.
We’re thrilled to have her leading the charge as we scale and innovate for the next generation of digital hiring. Welcome, Saba!
The Rising Need for Trust in Digital Hiring
The urgency behind our leadership expansion is backed by industry-wide data:
- Remote-first employers now cite background checks and identity verification as their top concerns in hiring compliance.
- According to a 2024 Gartner report, fraudulent job applications involving AI-generated content rose by 70% over the past two years.
- The FBI issued multiple warnings in 2024 about deepfake job candidates using synthetic video/audio to fake identities during remote interviews.
About Certn
Background checks don’t have to be a pain. Certn makes them faster, easier, and way less chaotic for everyone. We’re talking lightning-fast turnaround times, intuitive tech, and real human support if you need it. Trusted by 20,000+ teams, from scrappy startups to global giants, we help you hire faster, stay compliant, and keep top talent from slipping through the cracks. Make background screening the easiest part of hiring. Learn more at certn.co.