Can you afford not to have a chief privacy officer?

In the wake of unprecedented thefts of personal information, companies in the transaction processing and information services businesses that have not established the role of Chief Privacy Officer (CPO) should do so before they become the next victims – and perhaps put their reputation and their business at risk. The duties and responsibilities of CPOs in businesses whose lifeblood is information go far beyond merely guarding marketing information and monitoring compliance. Understanding the complex demands of this role and finding the right people to fill it should be a high priority for information companies that want to maintain public confidence and protect shareholder value.

About the author

Julian Ha (jha@heidrick.com) is a partner in Heidrick & Struggles' Washington D.C. office and leads the global government and policy practice.