Meet Lenitha Bishop, Chief Operating Officer At The DPO Centre.

Can you tell us first about The DPO Centre, why it has been so successful, and how it has evolved?

 
The DPO Centre was founded in 2017 to provide outsourced data protection and privacy compliance services. We have grown to include offices in Dublin, the Netherlands, Canada, and representative offices across most of Europe.

We have one of the largest teams of Data Protection Officers (DPOs), who support and advise our clients on a wide range of data protection and privacy matters, including audits, international data transfers, subject access requests, and more.

Our success is linked to our #ONETEAM philosophy, a mission to develop one remarkable team that delivers the extraordinary.

But more than that, we’re passionate about the industry and being at the forefront of positive change, to influence legislation and set new standards.
 

Expand on your role in that success? What advice do you have for women aspiring to leadership roles in tech and entrepreneurship?

 
After taking time off to be with my sons, I returned to the corporate world as a working mother, which was daunting and posed many challenges.

I met our CEO, Rob Masson, in the early stages of the company’s inception and became deeply involved with its mission and vision.

As member of the board and Chief Operations Officer, I oversee and provide leadership to our marketing, IT, HR, and service delivery teams. Working with our incredible #ONETEAM is immensely rewarding.

It’s a privilege to work alongside professionals at the top of their game and see them excel.

During my career, I’ve had the privilege of working with many inspiring leaders. The key to success, I’ve found, lies in collaboration and the willingness to continually learn and grow.

My advice to other women is to believe in your capabilities and unique perspectives. The privacy and tech industries are both constantly evolving, but you can stay ahead by adapting to change and being willing to step out of your comfort zone.
 

What are the future trends The DPO Centre is seeing? For example, what impact do you believe AI and emerging technologies will have on privacy and data protection?

 
The impact of AI across all sectors looks set to continue apace, with the rapid adoption of LLMs like ChatGPT marking a transformative shift. We’ve seen a significant increase in requests for our AI consultancy services and we’ve been working with companies to help them understand their AI’s decision-making processes to bolster trust and confidence and ensuring data privacy compliance.

The EU’s AI Act reached provisional agreement in December 2023 and is expected to be formally adopted this year. The GDPR set a precedent for data protection legislation and the AI Act is likely to become the benchmark for AI laws across the globe.

Organisations need to ensure they understand these up-and-coming legislation changes, and what they need to do to remain compliant. This can be particularly challenging for companies operating across multiple jurisdictions or entering new markets.

Ultimately, I see the adoption of AI technologies having a profound impact on privacy and data protection, introducing both opportunities and challenges. But those who don’t embrace it will be left behind.

And finally any last words? What can we hope to see from The DPO Centre in 2024?

 
As global regulations evolve, we’ll remain at the forefront, offering expert guidance and innovative solutions to complex privacy problems. We’ll also continue with our thought leadership activities. Ultimately, we’re all data subjects and our valuable personal data needs protecting, now and for future generations.