The following persons, all experts in their fields, will be speaking and taking questions at the 7th Annual Data Protection Compliance Conference.

Delegates will have an opportunity to network with speakers and delegates during the lunch break, coffee breaks and at the wine reception.

The data protection climate Richard Thomas UK Information Commissioner

Conference topic:  The last 12 months have seen important developments in the area of data protection with large-scale data breaches in both the public and private sectors.  In this presentation, Richard Thomas discusses the events of the last year, new developments in enforcement and compliance, and the future for data protection in this changed climate.

Biography:   Richard Thomas has been the Information Commissioner for the UK since December 2002.  He is the independent supervisory authority for the Data Protection Act 1998, the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and the Environmental Regulations 2004, all of which are fundamentally concerned with good information handling.  The Commissioner is responsible for promoting good practice.  He has put openness for public bodies and respect for personal information at the heart of his vision for the organisation.

The definition of “personal data”: is Durant dead? Dr. Mark Watts Partner, Bristows

Conference topic:  The fundamental issue underlying the Data Protection Act is the protection of “personal data”.  However, the definition of that term is not clear.  In this talk, Dr. Watts reviews the current state of play, and considers if Durant still applies.

Biography:  Dr. Mark Watts is a Partner at Bristows, specialising in commercial IT matters.  He has particular expertise in e-commerce and data protection.  Mark’s privacy practice involves assisting multinational companies with global privacy compliance, particularly with respect to data transfers, and advising on issues connected with social networking websites.  Mark is a member of the Editorial Board of Privacy & Data Protection journal.

Conference topic:  After the data security blunders of HMRC and others, many organisations realise that a data protection compliance review is necessary to address security issues “before they happen”.  Nick Graham explains the ICO audit manual, assesses how practicable it is, and discusses what companies are actually doing “on the ground” regarding data protection audits.

Biography:  Nick Graham is a Partner in the TMT Group at Denton Wilde Sapte and is head of the firm’s Information and Privacy Group.  Nick specialises in data protection and freedom of information, as well as IT and e-commerce law.  He also specialises in major technology transactions including ITO, offshoring, BPO and PFI projects.  He was formerly in-house counsel with Royal & Sun Alliance Group.

Managing your clients’ data Edna Kusitor Global Data Privacy Compliance Coordinator, Accenture

Conference topic:  Many outsourcing, service and consulting industries must hold personal data that belong to their clients, and it is vital that such data are managed and secured properly.  Edna Kusitor discusses how and why Accenture implemented its Client Data Protection Programme, the elements of the programme, the challenges faced and the lessons learned.

Biography:  Edna Kusitor advises on global data privacy matters for clients, as well as internal data within the Global Data Privacy Team at Accenture.  Her remit includes APAC, Europe and the Americas.  She was previously responsible for data privacy within Centrica Telecommunications.  Edna is on the Management Committee of the UK’s Data Protection Forum.

Conference topic:  Issues surrounding whistleblowing have become complicated, and the US Sarbanes-Oxley law has not helped matters.  Richard Jones reviews data privacy and employment law principles relating to whistleblowing, and highlights practical difficulties as well as issues likely to arise in other jurisdictions.

Biography:  Richard Jones is Clifford Chance’s Director of Data Privacy, based in the firm’s Communications, Media and Technology group in London.  He co-ordinates the firm’s global data privacy and management practice.  Richard specialises in data privacy and other similar projects which raise complex issues across multiple jurisdictions.

Conference topic:  Those responsible for data protection implementation often face the same issues.  The lengthy work involved with finding solutions can be reduced where knowledge is pooled.  Elaine Farmer looks at the main issues faced by Pfizer in the past year and considers the practical solutions.

Biography:  Elaine Farmer is Associate Director of Information Security and Data Privacy with Pfizer.  She has responsibility for delivery of Information Protection initiatives and is the Data Protection Manager for Pfizer UK.  Elaine was previously with BT Global Services where she held the position of Global Data Privacy Manager and was responsible for ensuring that all BT’s offshore offices and operations were compliant with relevant data protection laws.

Data retention and destruction: guidelines for creating policies Hazel Grant Partner, Bird & Bird

Conference topic:  How long an organisation holds personal data, and how it purges that information are fundamental elements of the data protection principles.  Nevertheless many organisations have inadequate polices in these areas.  In this talk, Hazel Grant gives useful guidelines to creating retention and destruction policies.

Biography:  Hazel Grant is a Partner in Bird & Bird’s IT Sector Group, where she advises on public procurement and contract law for IT projects, the licensing of software, databases and data protection.

Hazel’s clients range from central government departments to web retailers and global professional partnerships.

Metadata and internet monitoring Rosemary Jay Partner, Pinsent Masons

Conference topic:  The digital age has given rise to personal information being generated without the user seeing it or even knowing that it is there.  In this talk, Rosemary Jay discusses data protection requirements as they relate to creating, identifying, managing and using metadata, internet monitoring and other hidden data.

Biography:  Rosemary Jay is a Partner at Pinsent Masons.  She advises clients on privacy, data protection, human rights and access to information.  Prior to joining the firm, Rosemary worked at the Office of the Data Protection Registrar, where she headed the Legal Department for 12 years.  Rosemary is the author of Data Protection Law and Practice ( Sweet and Maxwell ).

The pitfalls and perils of corporate investigations Dan Cooper Special Counsel, Covington & Burling

Conference topic:  There are complex data protection issues that arise when organisations undertake an internal investigation for either civil or criminal reasons. The Article 29 Working Party has identified data protection issues in corporate investigations as being a top priority.  Dan Cooper deals with the challenges faced by organisations when such investigations arise.

Biography:  Dan Cooper is Special Counsel in Covington & Burling’s London office. His practice areas include advising on European privacy and data protection matters.  Dan has been involved in drafting global privacy policies and data transfer agreements, as well as structuring and implementing comprehensive data privacy audits.  Dan is a regular contributor to legal and industry journals and is a member of the Editorial Board of Privacy & Data Protection journal.

Chair's opening remarks Bridget Treacy Partner, Hunton & Williams

Biography:  Bridget Treacy leads the UK Data Protection and Outsourcing practice at international law firm Hunton & Williams.  She has built considerable expertise in advising on domestic and international data protection issues, particularly in the context of cross-border outsourcing and technology transactions.

Bridget’s transactional background has ensured that her data protection advice is centred on achieving practical, rather than merely theoretical, solutions to privacy issues.  Bridget is a member of the Editorial Board of Privacy & Data Protection journal.