Notes from the Executive Director
The IAPP: Strong Substance, Unmatched Networking

As I reflect this week on the success of the IAPP's first Delegate Tour to Europe, I am reminded  that the IAPP predictably again delivered an unparalleled mix of strong programming and unmatched networking for our members who joined us in Berlin, Paris and London.

With the help of tour sponsors Microsoft and Ernst & Young, 24 delegates experienced our signature networking KnowledgeNet events attended by local privacy pros in each city, workshops with Data Protection Authorities and an opportunity to mingle with VIP guests during special dinners. And to top it all off, I was joined by IAPP member Randal Gainer, Partner, David Wright Tremaine LLP, to appear before the Home Affairs Committee on June 7 to give testimony and take questions on the topic, A Surveillance Society? (View a clip of the testimony at www.parliamentlive.tv/Player/index.aspx?Encoding=6944.)

During the meetings with the DPAs, delegates from companies that included The Walt Disney Company, Toyota Financial Services, Delta Air Lines, Cardinal Health, KPMG and General Electric Co., were able to explore in detail the nuances of the privacy profession throughout the world. As delighted as I was to have senior-level participation on the tour, I was equally impressed by the large numbers of local privacy practitioners who came out to join us.

Delegates certainly were made aware of some of the vast differences in approaches and enforcement of privacy laws. The tour reinforced the unique role of the IAPP. We offer an effective way to bridge these divides by fostering the dialogue and understanding necessary to find appropriate and meaningful ways to allow data to flow while respecting different laws and cultural expectations. The IAPP provides the proven forum for active, involved privacy pros, and we are devoted to expanding this role in Canada and abroad.

As the word spreads about the success of this first Delegate Tour and the opportunities it provided to our delegates, we know members will be waiting eagerly for details about the next tour. We look forward to sharing more information with you in the near future.

But in the meantime, I want you to know that we have many volunteer leadership opportunities to offer our members who seek to serve the privacy profession. One of the great strengths of the IAPP is the involvement of committed privacy pros with vast experience, drawn from work in multiple industries. I urge you to explore these opportunities by turning to page 13 for more details about the leadership roles and the nomination process.
We wish you and your families a relaxing and enjoyable summer.

J. Trevor Hughes, CIPP
Executive Director, IAPP