24 days of privacy Pros

1: Farana Jivan

... is a relative newbie to the world of data protection and governance, but she is simply magnificent. Farana shows just how valuable apprenticeships are for creating different pathways into the profession and how much you can achieve in a very short space of time.

2: Katie Hewson

I met Katie at a conference where she was presenting - she is very pragmatic, erudite and easy to approach. Her generosity with her knowledge was so appreciated, including spending time talking through the implications of the newest data protection legislation with members of our team.

Everyone needs a good privacy lawyer they can depend on.

3: Emma Martins

Emma often starts her presentations by saying her jurisdiction is 'titchy small' since Guernsey is not large in comparison with some of its European neighbours. What it lacks in size though, it certainly makes up for in data protection excellence, led by the ethical enthusiasm of Emma.

If you haven't yet come across 'Project Bijou'?https://lnkd.in/e59tHJcm?can I encourage you to take a look. Championed by Emma, this initiative makes data protection everyone's business.

4: Kristy Grant-Hart

Not strictly a privacy pro - but where compliance is concerned Kristy is your #1 ally - if you ever need to feel that someone is cheerleading for you take a look at?https://lnkd.in/eANb6tC8.

If you want to be 'wildly effective', 'wildly strategic' or 'wildly successful' in your governance efforts then Kristy has some brilliant tips and tricks.

5: Abigail Dubiniecki

Abigail moved back to Canada and I am still not entirely sure I have forgiven her. How I miss our regular discussions, her encyclopedic knowledge of the privacy stack, global regulations and her ability to link people with one another.

Most importantly, Abigail's superpower is as an educator. She can distill hugely complex privacy 'stuff' straight down to the most important elements in a blink of an eye. Then she presents it with such skill and enthusiasm you always come away empowered and determined. Like she has sprinkled you with magic privacy fairy dust.

6: Vivienne Artz

I can still remember the first time I sat in a room and heard Vivienne speak. It was at a small gathering in a law office in London, where there were some brilliant discussions around data breaches, and computer forensics. I learnt a lot.

But the biggest takeaway was from Vivienne herself, and her championing of women in everything she does. Here was this brilliant, articulate, confident woman leading the way. She won't know (until now!) that she inspired me to be braver and to be a multiplier where I can be.

So thanks Vivienne for being the unknown sponsor of those 'big girl pants' that everyone needs from time to time.

7: Suzanne Dibble

It was really only a matter of time before this human dynamo made it onto the list. Author of 'GDPR for Dummies' and builder of the largest community on social media giving proper, practical advice to SMEs on data protection and other scary legislative matters, Suzanne is a real force of nature.

She is yet another fabulous 'sharer' - generous with her time, energy and advice - always someone to shuffle up next to at any event.

8: Caroline Watson

Every team needs different skills, and in privacy what you really need is a terrier. Someone willing to go down the rabbit holes and into the vaults to make sure you have investigated every last corner to guarantee you haven't forgotten something. Caroline is that someone.

Adventurous to the core, she is fast becoming a regional data privacy expert and is truly valued for her absolute attention to detail. I'm very lucky to spend a significant amount of my working hours sharing ideas with her.

9: Ivana Bartoletti

Ivana and I were at adjacent tables at the Picasso Awards and we spent a little time reminiscing about some of the jolly times we have had together speaking on various conference stages.

Ivana is an absolute beacon of light when it comes to talking about privacy by design programmes, and the privacy and ethical challenges relating to Artificial Intelligence (AI) and big data. Her passion shines through and it will come as no surprise that she is also the author of a powerhouse of a book called An Artificial Revolution: On Power, Politics and AI (perfect stocking filler).

It's also no surprise that she won Privacy Leader of the Year: Technology at the awards - very much deserved. https://lnkd.in/epbT-e7W

10: Bronwen Harrison

Bronwen didn't originally start in Data Governance. When we first met she was a specialist in data management, data analysis and insight. A quick introduction into data protection though and she was converted.

Having someone who knows about multi-channel programmes and data discovery in your data privacy team is incredibly useful, not least because there is no 'wool over eyes' pulling tricks that will get past you.

And, as Bronwen clearly illustrates, being enthusiastic about data privacy is infectious.

11: Tash Whitaker

If you haven't yet met Tash - let me introduce you.

Not only is Tash a deep well of sophisticated knowledge about all things data protection, she is absolutely fearless. She isn't afraid to take difficult questions on, interrogating the information and formulating answers that make sense.

She is also the hub around which lots of the privacy consultancy community rotates, bringing people together in the Privacy Space, and creating a safe environment where no question is a daft question, because we all need reassurance that we are on the right track from time to time.

12:?Ann Cavoukian

Privacy by Design is a concept that all of us in data protection and data privacy hold very dear. It is the engine of good governance practice (and also makes life a lot easier if you can get teams to talk to you at the beginning of their development cycle rather than at the very end).

It's fair to say that Ann is the fairy godmother of PbD - creating the framework during her time as the Information & Privacy Commissioner of Ontario, Canada. Since being recognised as an International Standard, PbD has been translated into 40 languages and forms the bedrock on which our day to day work is securely built.

Thanks Ann!

13:?Hayley Jaffrey

Even within our community, we tend to think of DPOs as just being a 'thing', i.e. one size fits all, but what Hayley demonstrates is how important it is to have someone who also knows how a specific industry works to drive a programme of excellence forwards.

Hayley's specialism is healthcare, where she has an enviable reputation for delivering practical, proactive and pragmatic advice and action.

For me, she's one of the people I want to bump into at an industry event. Funny, smart, interesting.

14:?Liisa Thomas

Data Breach. Two little words that can strike fear into the heart of any Privacy Pro. Never fear - there is a proper superheroine who can come to your aid.

Liisa is the Managing Partner and Lead, Privacy and Cybersecurity Practice at Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton, and is the author of "Thomas on Data Breach: A Practical Guide to Handling Worldwide Data Breach Notification"* which is the absolute bible of all things in this area.

I attended a workshop run by Liisa about how to manage data breaches, and have always practised her key pieces of advice which include listen and wait (rather than run around like a headless chicken) and not to let anyone in infosec do the public facing comms!

*p.s. I leant my copy to someone but can't remember who. If it was you - please can I have it back!

15:?Emma Godfree

Lego. That's a word you don't associate with everyday privacy efforts. However, one look at Emma's output will definitely convince you otherwise.

You see, most people who work in data protection and privacy are pretty erudite: big thinkers; lots of reading etc. So it is all too easy to get caught up in our fancy words and complex legal arguments about words like 'consent' and 'policy' and 'risk'. But not everyone is neuro-typical or has a bunch of certifications after their name, and these are exactly the people we need to reach and protect.

So it is time for some non-typical messaging: simple (never simplistic); short; and easy to understand. Enter Emma and her lovely lego. This week's features the 'Decidatron' and it is clear that Santa needs some help.

16:??? Suze Phillips

Want some no nonsense, 'make me proud' compliance advice - then look no further than Suze.

Looking after folks who are a bit flummoxed by the complexity of the various legislation, it's no wonder lots of them flourish with her on their team. You begin to understand just how good she is at what she does when these organisations, who don't have large compliance teams to back them up, understand what 'good' looks like.

And she makes great honey.

17:?Debbie Reynolds

Debbie describes herself as a 'Data Diva'. What does this mean exactly? Driving Initiatives with Verve and Attitude. Delivering Innovation Very Accurately. Doing Insight like a Veritable Angel.

Debbie does all of these things and more. You can catch up with her on her Data Advantage newsletter or via her podcasts* which are hosted by?Data Diva Media.

*Debbie transcribes her podcasts to make them accessible, which makes me love her even more.

18:?Lesley Holmes

I didn't get a chance to catch up with Lesley at the PICASSO awards last week, mainly because it was so exciting being in a room full of real people, but we have come across one another in a professional capacity.

What struck me about Lesley the first time I met her, was how she not only understood what 'good' looked like from her own organisation's perspective, but also what companies who wanted to use their services wanted to see. There's nothing better than getting the answers before you have asked the questions.

Which is why Lesley won DPO of the Year - and jolly well done too!

19:?Natasha McAllister

"Together we are painting a brighter picture" - one of Natasha's own phrases and it exemplifies her approach to data privacy and protection work. Because being compliant on your own isn't the intention or the spirit of the regulation. This stuff only works if we all work together and we bring our clients, colleagues and collaborators with us.

Natasha has a deep understanding of The Children's Code. She also has the passion to persuade others that the work is worth it and it's infectious.

20:?Asli YILDIZ

When I first met Asli, she had a really tough gig. It's not easy being in compliance for an industry association, and especially one that privacy folks have in their sights for business practices involving the exploitation of data.

But I am poacher turned gamekeeper, because once upon a time I was a Fellow of the Institute of Data and Marketing, so I have some sympathy with the problems of dealing with organisations that are trying to do stuff right while chasing after those who just don't think the rules are for them.

Asli has always impressed with her ability to see the clear path forward for data privacy.

21:?Janine McKelvey

Janine is a relatively recent acquaintance. In fact I met her for the first time properly at the?#PicassoAwards?and a number of things were immediately clear:

She is enormously proud of her compliance team, the work they do and the efforts they make to keep things on the straight and narrow; That her world is complex, multinational and is in the eye of a multi-regulatory storm, and; She is a champion for the competitive advantage that being compliant delivers.

I'm looking forward to getting to know Janine some more in 2023

22:?Claire Archibald

Schools. What does that make you think of: lost property, lost homework, smelly changing rooms or smelly lunches?

The process of education requires the processing of vast quantities of data, both structured and unstructured, and it is all too easy for those working in these environments to get themselves in a pretty pickle over information.

Add into this a complex customer base (parents and carers x2, teenagers, social and other services), plus a temptation to cover 'Data protection' off with a quick once a year workshop and what you have is a hot mess of data confusion.

Which is when you need to call Claire, education data protection guru and all round voice of calm.

23:? Elizabeth Smith

The BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT is an amazing professional body, supporting folks of all stripes working in the digital world. It also has a great couple of courses for anyone new to data protection that could well be the catalyst for a full blown career in this fascinating area.

Which makes it doubly important that the organisation not only 'talks the talk' but also 'walks the walk', so the role of Head of Compliance is a vital one.

Liz does this with aplomb. You only have to meet her a couple of times to realise that 'doing the right thing' runs through her like Blackpool in a stick of rock.

24: Elizabeth D

Working in privacy, you find yourself most days dealing with both a long and short term view. It's rare that you don't inherit rules from someone else or practices that are already hard baked into the organisation. It takes time to create something that looks the way you want it to and sometimes you don't get to see all the fruits of your labour.

So thanks to Elizabeth Denham CBE - for her tenure as Information Commissioner in the UK - and for the seeds she planted that we are able to capitalise on.