Meet the expert: Samuel Famolu to speak at Last Thursday in Privacy

Broadcasting on January 26, Last Thursday in Digital is a livestreaming experience that takes international audiences to the edge of today’s digital landscape.

Samuel Famolu is a Privacy Analyst at BCD Travel. Working in the office of the DPO, Samuel’s technical expertise ensures global compliance on Privacy and Data Security, with a particular focus on Governance, Risk Management, Compliance and Audits.

Samuel will appear exclusively at Last Thursday in Privacy to discuss how businesses can fulfil compliance requirements within privacy programme management.

We caught up with Samuel for more on his professional journey to date, and for an introduction to the topics under the microscope in his panel debate at Last Thursday in Privacy.

Could you outline your career pathway so far?

Doing what I do now has been quite a unique journey. I completed my Bachelor’s programme in Law, then proceeded to get qualified as a Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court. 

While practicing at a law firm, I enjoyed the corporate side more than litigation then decided to go full time as a corporate legal counsel. Along the way, I desired to get more training and options, then I took the Masters’ degree in Law and Tech. 

This opened a new world of opportunity that aligned with my passionate interest in tech. I have since articulated all the skills acquired along the journey to continue to evolve my career. 

What are the biggest challenges that businesses face as they put together privacy programmes?

The biggest challenge is achieving a consistent synchronisation of the various moving parts. A solid privacy programme within an organisation brings together the knowledge of business objectives, technical and legal requirements. These need to continuously be in alignment between and across the data owners, data stewards, data custodians and the legal team. The bigger the organisation, the more challenging. The smaller the organisation, the more overwhelming the situation can be.

What emerging trends are shaping privacy programme management?

Automation is rapidly shaping privacy programme management, with more systems being linked via strings of codes and APIs getting iterated. Fines are also making companies more conscious and proactive rather than reactive.