Episode 2: Veronica Ayitey

In Episode 7 of Generation GDPR, I speak to the legendary Cristina Vannini-Goodchild. Cristina's route to becoming a data protection specialist is a lesson to anyone who is looking at the DP / privacy sector from outside and wondering how to break in. She just did it. We talked about her career managing projects for big organisations, and how preparing for GDPR opened her eyes to a different path. This leads on to the importance of having a passion for your work, but also setting practical and achievable goals. Her positive spin on nurturing her clients is a nice contrast to the pessimism you get from certain DP dinosaurs. Anyway.... this is an upbeat and entertaining episode and I am sure you will enjoy it.

Sona Mehta is a lecturer and lawyer and is the first pod participant who returned to the sector with GDPR rather than joined it for the first time. We talked about why she did that, and how flexibility and adaptability are core to how data protection professionals thrive. Data Protection is perceived as boring, and Sona has an interesting perspective on the need to educate the coming generations about what it's all about. We also talked about the importance of networks and the need to strike a balance between compliance and commerce. I really enjoyed our conversation and I'm sure you will too.

Guest number five is the marvellous Courtney Rose Lee-Hentze. Courtney talked about her passion for data protection, the way skills can be re-purposed when entering the sector, and inevitably, a certain beloved science fiction franchise came up. Yes, we had a long conversation about Critters.... OK, I asked her about Star Wars and if you're a fan, you will not be disappointed with a far deeper answer than my knowledge prepared me for. And even though I have been asking for it, she delivered the most brutal observation about my age in the series. I am never speechless, but this is close.

Chris Hunt works on privacy in the tech sector, but he didn’t start out with a plan to work on data protection (been there). We talked about how he found himself working on subject access requests, how any DP role gives you the chance to help someone and the challenge of Dead Man’s Shoes. He’s also got possibly the most brutal advice in the series for us DP dinosaurs. And he’s absolutely right.

Henry Pearce is a lecturer teaching and researching data protection and IT-related law. We all face the same challenges in terms of communicating how DP works, but Henry's perspective is different to most other DP practitioners which makes this a fascinating conversation. We talked about where his interest in the subject came from (dinosaurs are mentioned for more than one reason on this episode), what students think of DP as a career option and the role of qualifications and certifications.

Veronica Ayitey gives an upbeat and optimistic view of her journey to becoming a data protection lawyer, including a positive case for certifications and stressing the importance of seeing people like you in places you want to be. She even had the opportunity to highlight my age in a brutal way, and didn't take it.

The first episodes's guest is the amazing Kathryn Brooks. We talked about the slightly circuitous route that took her into the sector, the emphasis she places on selling the benefits of data protection, tips for people who want to break into the sector and mountains (briefly). Listen, follow for future episodes and tell your friends.

The Generation GDPR podcast is coming soon. Please follow / subscribe now wherever you get your podcasts.