From compliance cost to competitive edge: How privacy leaders can command the executive table

Amid accelerating innovation, particularly in generative artificial intelligence and data-driven technologies, privacy leaders are being called to the executive table more often — but their voices aren't always fully heard.

The latest IAPP Privacy Governance Report shows more than 80% of privacy professionals now manage responsibilities far beyond traditional data protection, including AI governance, data ethics, cybersecurity and platform liability initiatives. Despite this expanded scope, privacy is still too often framed as a compliance cost rather than a strategic enabler.

As technology continues to outpace regulation and nearly half of organizations identify AI governance as a top business priority, privacy has become the integrating force across emerging risks, placing leaders at the center of complex, high-stakes decisions that shape market trust and business growth.

This is the moment to redefine the conversation and show how privacy drives responsible innovation, operational resilience and long-term value. And it starts by communicating evolving risks in business terms that command executive attention and reposition privacy as a critical investment in competitive advantage.

Aligning privacy with the pace of innovation

In fast-moving sectors, speed is everything. Yet privacy is often perceived as a barrier to innovation, a function that slows down development in the name of compliance. This perception is both outdated and counterproductive.

Leading technology companies demonstrate that when privacy is embedded early, it accelerates product development rather than becoming a last-minute hurdle. Engaging privacy teams during the design phase helps surface potential risks before significant resources have been spent, reducing costly rework and ensuring products enter the market with trust and confidence already built in.

Standardized privacy frameworks, internal documentation and predictable review processes help organizations maintain their speed-to-market advantage. When engineering and product teams understand privacy expectations from the outset, they can design accordingly, reducing delays and eliminating last-minute surprises.

The real unlock happens when privacy shifts from being perceived as a set of roadblocks to a source of clarity and confidence for innovative teams.

Elevating privacy at the executive table

For privacy leaders to command influence, they must speak the language of business strategy. Executives care about growth, market differentiation and customer loyalty — privacy must be positioned as a contributor to these very outcomes.

Rather than focusing solely on regulatory risks, successful privacy leaders demonstrate how their work directly supports strategic priorities, accelerating digital transformation, reducing regulatory friction and strengthening customer trust.

Influence grows from sustained collaboration, not isolated interventions. The most effective privacy programs foster deep, ongoing partnerships across product, engineering, marketing and sales teams. Privacy leaders who actively participate in shaping product strategies naturally position themselves as strategic partners, not compliance gatekeepers.

Shifting from gatekeeping to growth enablement

Privacy risks often surface too late: when data protection agreements are finalized or products are ready to launch. By then, business flexibility is already compromised, leaving leaders to navigate rigid contractual terms or scramble to retrofit compliance.

The most forward-looking organizations understand privacy creates the greatest value when embedded early in decision-making.

In high-stakes industries like technology and financial services, this isn't just best practice, it's a competitive necessity. Privacy teams that work directly with commercial stakeholders before contracts are signed help preserve long-term market access and operational agility.

Framing privacy terms as growth enablers, protecting against hidden costs of regulatory shifts and market barriers, makes privacy immediately relevant to leadership's bottom line.

This approach helps organizations avoid the trap of short-term thinking. Companies that negotiate with evolving regulations and future market opportunities in mind position themselves to pivot quickly, rather than lose critical time and momentum when the landscape changes.

Making the business case: Visibility through value

One of the greatest challenges privacy leaders face is that a well-run program often makes its success invisible. No fines. No breaches. No headlines. And while that's the goal, it makes privacy's value less visible to leadership.

The IAPP Privacy Governance Report reinforces this challenge — while privacy programs expand in scope, success metrics often lag behind. This makes it even more critical for privacy leaders to translate their work into measurable outcomes that resonate with executive decision-makers.

Real-world examples of competitors facing regulatory penalties or reputational damage serve as powerful reminders of the risks avoided through proactive privacy programs. Operational metrics — such as faster vendor approvals, reduced negotiation times and lower incident response costs — help quantify how privacy drives efficiency and enables business agility.

Above all, privacy must be positioned as a strategic investment that supports and grows revenue. Companies that integrate privacy into their brand narrative create meaningful market differentiators and earn lasting customer loyalty in a privacy-conscious world.

Operationalizing privacy across the product life cycle

Privacy by design must move from principle to practice, becoming a core operational standard that supports product innovation and business growth from day one.

Organizations that excel in this area integrate privacy checkpoints directly into agile development cycles, treating privacy as a standard success metric alongside functionality and user experience. Cross-functional privacy champions identify potential issues early and ensure product teams have the tools and guidance needed to navigate them effectively.

Automation also plays an increasingly critical role. Scalable privacy tools for data mapping, risk assessment and continuous monitoring allow organizations to stay ahead of compliance requirements without slowing innovation.

Staying ahead of emerging risks

Technology will always outpace regulation. Waiting for new laws to define what's permissible keeps organizations on the defensive. Instead, privacy leaders must act as strategic forecasters, anticipating emerging risks and preparing their organizations to navigate change before it arrives.

Staying ahead requires continuous investment in technical literacy and global regulatory awareness. It also demands close collaboration across legal, compliance, product, and engineering teams to create resilient, future-proof privacy strategies.

Above all, privacy leaders must position early action as a competitive advantage. Organizations that anticipate privacy risks before the market does are better positioned to lead in new industries, navigate regulatory uncertainty with confidence and build trust long before competitors.

In a world where consumer trust is a defining currency of business success, privacy leadership is no longer just about compliance — it is a driver of growth, resilience and long-term value.

The organizations that embrace this reality, and empower their privacy leaders accordingly, won't just survive the next wave of technological disruption. They'll define it and set new standards for how responsible innovation and trusted customer relationships shape the future of business.

Basia Walczak is privacy and product counsel at Trulioo; Hussein Abdulghani, CIPP/E, CIPT, FIP, is a manager at Boston Consulting Group; Benjamin Kaplan, CIPP/E, CIPM, CIPT, FIP, is a privacy engineer at a leading technology company; and Melanie Selvadurai, CIPP/C, is privacy program manager at TikTok.