Volunteer Spotlight

Want to learn more? Here’s how you can get involved!

 

Masayuki Negishi, Dip CII, CIPP/E, CIPP/US

Data Privacy Council, Deutsche Bank

CIPP/E Exam Development Board Member

Why do you volunteer with the IAPP?

Participating in the Exam Development Board makes me think about issues I wouldn’t otherwise think about. I also get to work with privacy professionals from other countries and other sectors, who challenge my thinking. This helps me to maintain a broader perspective on privacy-related issues.

Why did you choose this particular board/position?

I did not specifically choose to join the Exam Development Board. The IAPP contacted me and asked if I would be interested in joining the board and I thought, “why not?”!

Describe the most rewarding part of your volunteer experience.

[The] opportunity to see the bigger picture through exposure to other privacy professionals.

What would you be doing if you didn’t work in the privacy field? If I had the chance to pursue a completely different career, I would probably choose a career that allows me to work with animals–[a] veterinarian or zoo keeper.

What advice would you give to students or recent graduates considering a career in privacy?

Privacy in practice is rarely black and white; it’s 10 percent about rules and 90 percent about context. A solid understanding of the context in which privacy-related issues arise is crucial in enabling you to choose the right shade of grey.

So, if you wish to pursue a career in privacy, think about the sector in which you wish to pursue it, and make sure that you gain a good understanding of the sector of your choice, including the environment that surrounds it and [the] non-privacy issues it faces.

To borrow Liz Ryan’s expression, privacy is a kind of “business pain,” and if you want to convince a potential employer that you can solve “business pain,” you need to be able to demonstrate that you understand what pain arises, how, where, and when, and how you can solve it. Just knowing the laws and regulations won’t be enough.

If you’ve been to or participated in an IAPP conference, what is your most memorable moment?

Julie Brill from the Federal Trade Commission giving her keynote speech at the IAPP Europe Data Protection Congress. It was the first time I saw a U.S. official talk about privacy. I regularly attend conferences and seminars, but I am yet to come across someone who can talk about privacy from a U.S. perspective as cogently and authoritatively as she did then.

What was your favorite college class?

Chemistry, because it gave me more opportunities to misbehave than any other class.

If you could live in any city in the world, which one would you pick?

I live in London and I cannot see any reason to move elsewhere, but if I had to choose somewhere else, maybe Vancouver, Sydney or Chicago.