Celebrating Women in Privacy - Brooke Oppenheimer
To celebrate Women’s Day, Meru Data is proud to showcase a few renowned privacy professionals in this space and share their journey.
What do you love most about your profession? What excites you about your job?
“As a lawyer handling cybersecurity, data protection, and eDiscovery, my days never look the same. The regulatory landscape is ever-changing, new technologies emerge, and challenges evolve. It’s my responsibility to not only stay abreast of all these developments, but also to think ahead about the resulting implications and how those issues may affect my clients’ businesses and legal strategies. Engaging in that level of strategic thinking is deeply rewarding. And the cherry on top is that I am fortunate to work with some of the brightest professionals in our field. Collaborating with my talented colleagues to develop creative solutions and achieve clients’ end-goals is thrilling.”
How has your career evolved in the last two to three years?
“Data management has been part of my job and passion for quite some time. However, the importance and impact of issues surrounding data, cybersecurity, and privacy has only truly been recognized by the broader community in the last several years. Both colleagues and clients are now more interested and tuned in to questions about data use and emerging technologies. This has allowed my position to include more training, panel discussions, and business impact consulting. It has been a welcomed development in my career especially as I love hearing the effect that my advice and solutions have on business success.”
Why do you think privacy is essential for an organization? How have your skills helped you be successful in your role?
“Privacy and cybersecurity tap into all aspects of data management. Clients are scrutinizing what data is collected and how it is used and distributed. Having the knowledge and experience in evaluating these issues helps to ensure that information is better controlled and utilized, and as a result, helps companies to become more effective in their data management and business operations.”
From your experience, what skills are essential in what you do?
“Cybersecurity and data lawyers must be creative and willing to think outside the box. You have to be creative in finding pragmatic strategies for clients to comply with stringent regulations while also handling large data and addressing complex business workflows.
Attorneys must be adept at explaining technical solutions in relatable terms and effective in proposing new implementations and workflows to a range of audiences. Combining technical know-how with a passion for continuous learning is essential in this ever-evolving field. You have to be willing to adapt to big changes.”
If you had to go back to the beginning of your career, what advice would you give to your younger self?
“Be open to new experiences and areas of work. Early in my career, I was dead set on being a human rights lawyer and I focused my practice in that area for many years. But as I was presented with opportunities involving data management, eDiscovery, cybersecurity, and privacy, I decided to accept the challenge.
The work looked very different from what I had originally envisioned but I loved it, and I have enjoyed growing and evolving in my practice ever since. So I would advise young lawyers to be open to a range of work because your passion may not be what you originally expected.”
Do you have any closing thoughts or words of wisdom for our readers?
“As a woman lawyer or professional, you may encounter implicit biases at some point in your career. Unconscious biases need to be recognized, discussed, and corrected. There has most certainly been progress in increasing gender diversity in the workplace, as well as greater awareness about the importance of equity and inclusion. Still, achieving true equity in the workplace requires sustained effort and commitment from both individuals and organizations.
Speaking up, raising awareness about issues related to equity and inclusion, and advocating for the advancement of women is critical. Devoting time, resources, and financial support to help organizations working toward equity will enable them to continue their important work and maximize their impact.
Whether you’re a law firm partner, associate or business executive, leading by example can inspire others to become more engaged in promoting equity and inclusion and create meaningful change for the next generation of women.”
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