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What is a Business Privacy Champion and which is his role within the Privacy Office?
There are different types of structures that can be used for the definition and creation of the Privacy Office «PO» depending on the type of company we are talking about. A very popular structure, especially in large companies, is the one in which the Privacy Office, led by the Privacy Officer and his team, is joined by the figure of the Business Privacy Champion «BPC».
The BPC is a role that originates from an employee of the company, whose mission is to collaborate with the PO in the maintenance of the privacy program as well as in the creation of a privacy culture within the company.
Where is this function located within the Privacy Office structure and what is its mission?
Depending on the type of company, there are different formulas, in small companies it may be sufficient to have a single BPC, but if this role is addressed in a multinational environment the most common option is the appointment of a BPC in each area of the company (e.g. HR, Marketing, etc.). The idea is to have a collaborator within the PO who knows the business and/or the specific area, as well as privacy.
The main mission of the BPC is to be the first point of contact for data privacy issues of the areas along with the duty to promulgate the privacy principles among the rest of his colleagues, which makes him something like the privacy evangelist. This implies that it is a role that will be present in the different discussions of the corresponding area and will detect all those issues that may affect the privacy of personal data, to escalate them to the PO in the different privacy meetings held with the BPC network.
To this end, the PO should create a Privacy Champions Program to identify the areas in which it is necessary to have this figure and the most suitable profiles to assume this role, as well as instruct them in privacy matters, so that they can provide support to the areas, help maintain the privacy program and promulgate the basic principles of privacy.
What is the ideal profile of a Business Privacy Champion?
In an ideal world, it would be perfect that these profiles have technical knowledge of privacy, the reality is that it is highly difficult to find these profiles. That is why it is necessary to look for employees who are concerned about data privacy and who are also motivated to share with the rest of their colleagues the principles of privacy. That is why they must have the following qualities, among others: be a positive person, open-minded, respected by their colleagues, with extensive knowledge about the business and with leadership skills to be able to change the way of thinking of the rest of their colleagues.
What are the benefits of having a network of privacy champions throughout the organization?
It is a valuable ally that enables the PO to help enact the organization’s privacy mission and core privacy principles in a way that frees up the PO’s workload so that the team can use their time on tasks that require real technical expertise.
Another great advantage of the implementation of the BPCs role is that, as they are part of the areas, they are the perfect partners to detect colleagues who are reluctant to change, new initiatives that have not been shared with the PO, etc., which will make them the eyes and ears of the PO.
Therefore, creating a network of privacy champions throughout the organization is an option that brings great benefits to the organization and allows maintaining a strong privacy program.
