Dr Rena Gertz completed her law degree in Germany before moving to Scotland for a Masters Degree and PhD in law, followed by a research fellowship at Edinburgh University. Leaving academia, she worked in local government for 7 years as DP and FOI Compliance Officer, while still maintaining her relationship with Edinburgh University by lecturing on several Masters Degree programmes. In May 2017 she returned fully to Edinburgh University by taking up the role of Data Protection Officer. In her spare time, Rena is a semi-professional singer and renowned for having written the GDPR song!

As Head of Information Governance, Alison leads the service responsible for data protection, FOI and information management at Registers of Scotland (RoS). The Information Governance team is part of the wider Risk and Information Governance function, with the importance of risk practice being well recognised at RoS.

Alison has developed an integrated information risk assessment process for RoS, incorporating the requirements of the Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) with information security, information management and data ethics.

Alison has worked in information science and governance throughout her career, mainly in the public sector including 8 years at RoS. She holds an MSc in Information Science as well as professional qualifications in data protection and information risk.

I love data protection and I have been lucky to work in this field for over 24 years, tackling the challenges and opportunities that have arisen as our society, technology and laws have changed. Having previously worked in the Scottish health sector as a Data Protection Officer, I joined the team at Smart Data Foundry as their Head of Information Governance. We are a mission-driven subsidiary of the University of Edinburgh. We work with academics, the public sector and finance sector data partners, to help unlock the intelligence in financial data to tackle the pressing social and economic challenges facing Scotland today.

Diego leads on operations at SBC. He has day-to-day responsibility for operational matters including external assurance activity. Diego has over 15 years’ experience tackling fundamental policy issues of societal importance – human rights, technologies, criminal justice, climate policy and corporate actors– working at the interface of policy and practice in Scotland, the EU and the UK. He is passionate about fostering multi-disciplinary collaborations and cross-sector partnerships to co-create pathways for innovation that improves services, policy, and the law.

Diego currently serves on a number of technology and biometrics expert groups, including on the Independent Advisory Group on Emerging Technologies in Policing. Diego also served on the Independent Advisory Group on the Use of Biometric Data in Scotland and the Scottish Government Forensic Data Working Group on Acquisition and Retention of DNA and Fingerprints. 

Before joining SBC Diego led the policy and international areas at the Scottish Human Rights Commission. Diego has also worked as an independent expert for the European Commission’s TAIEX in a number of countries, including Bosnia & Herzegovina, Turkey and Azerbaijan. Previously, Diego held a lectureship in Law at the Robert Gordon University and worked with the former UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Business and Human Rights, Prof. John Ruggie, at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. He has published widely on human rights, including on technology. Diego is a qualified lawyer in Colombia and worked as an in-house lawyer for a financial institution. 

Chris is the CEO of the Data and Marketing Association. He has over 40 years of experience in Europe, the USA and Asia/Pacific including senior roles at agencies, brands and marketing technology companies.

Chris launched his career in Los Angeles in TV Production before joining Young & Rubicam NY in 1982. His 12 years at Y&R included 5 years in Asia, from 1989, initially as regional account director for Dentsu Young & Rubicam (DY&R) and then as General Manager of Wunderman Hong Kong before founding the Wunderman office in Singapore in 1992. Chris moved to London in 1994 as European media and sourcing director for Franklin Mint and created his own on-line catalogue company (Living Heritage) in 1998. From 2000 to 2009, Chris developed Emailvision (now Smartfocus) into Europe’s leading email service provider (ESP) in his dual roles of Chief Operating Officer and UK Managing Director.

In addition to his commercial activity, Chris has taken a lead in industry issues including legislation, best practice and education. His industry roles include being Co-Chair of FEDMA, Chair of the JIC Mail board, and seats on the boards of the Advertising Association, Asbof and CAP.

Kate Bryan is the founder of Data Driven Legal, a boutique legal practice focused on providing practical data protection and AI governance advice. Before this, Kate was the Global Data Protection Officer for Royal Caribbean Group, a multinational organisation listed on the New York Stock Exchange, a role which gave Kate exposure to all areas of data protection compliance. This experience and perspective means that Kate knows what kind of advice inhouse colleagues want and need. Clients value the combination of Kate’s legal expertise and her practical experience in rolling out effective compliance programs. Her knowledge, approachable nature and reliability mean that clients think of Data Driven Legal as an extension of their own inhouse teams.

Jenny has been with the ICO since 2018. In that time she has worked with a wide range of stakeholders from all sectors in Scotland providing regulatory input and guidance on a national issues and policy proposals. She currently leads the Scottish Affairs team at the ICO.

Prior to joining the ICO Jenny worked at the Carnegie UK Trust on a variety of policy advocacy and research projects including those centred on public service reform and evidence based policy and practice. She has also held a number of third sector roles.

A biologist by training Jenny has spent time in molecular biology research labs and has always had a  love of data.

Her interest is in how data protection can help support the delivery of policy and practice that leads to improvements in people’s lives.

A librarian by trade, Helen has worked in records and information management, IKM, information governance and data protection in public and private sector organisations in Scotland and New Zealand.  Helen is currently Head of the Knowledge and Information Shared Services branch of the Scottish Government and Chair of the Stats Public Benefit and Privacy Panel, and has a particular interest in the use of AI to facilitate and improve the management of records through their entire lifecycle

Hugh Wallace is Chief Information Officer at Research Data Scotland (RDS), an organisation that helps researchers find and make use of data that can improve the lives of people in Scotland.

Prior to RDS, Hugh led a high-profile programme to deliver a common payments platform in Scottish Government and support digital service development within Scotland’s Social Security agency. His previous roles include leading the digital teams at Oxfam and National Museums Scotland, as well as heading up the design function in a digital agency.

Information and Data Specialist with experience in M365 governance and roll out projects and putting the information governance compliance into technology assets. She is the former IG and DP lead for the Care Inspectorate.

Rachel has worked in government both national and local in the regulatory, law enforcement, intelligence and care sectors.

Strong information governance professional with a Master of Science (M.Sc.) in Information and Records Management from Northumbria University and practical experience of all aspects of information governance including data protection, records management and information security overlaps.

Her mantra is ….make it easy for users to do the right thing!

Data, Training, Words. I translate technical knowledge for lay audiences. I’m an explainer, specialist, and implementer. I’m excellent at training people and I love linguistics.

At work, I am also a mentor, a Data Champion, and  a committee member of our staff network on disability, accessibility, and inclusion.

I have worked in the public, private, and non-profit sector; I have worked in higher and adult education, in fintech, infrastructure, the medical device industry, and the NHS.