About the IAPP

Included in the ‘Top 100 Women in Cybersecurity in Europe’, Dr. Valerie Lyons is an accomplished and driven cybersecurity and privacy leadership expert. She is author of the best-selling newly released book The Privacy leader Compass. Dr. Lyons is Director and Chief Operations Officer in BH Consulting. Her career spans over 30 years - working in both cybersecurity and privacy teams. She has previously worked for several global organisations, such as IBM, KPMG, and ABB, and served as Head of Information Security Risk in KBC Bank for almost 15 years. She has an in-depth knowledge of European data protection law and practices, and frequently presents at renowned international security and privacy conferences (such as RSA, COSAC, ISACA and CPDP). She has also lectured in Dublin City University on Privacy, Cybersecurity and Digital Ethics. In 2022, Dr Lyons was awarded a PhD in Information Privacy for her research into Privacy as a CSR. She also holds a Masters in Leadership, along with a post-graduate diploma in Executive Coaching. She is a certified CISSP for almost 25 years, a CDPSE for three years, and is a member of the Institute of Directors in Ireland.