The IAPP is welcoming three new members to its Board of Directors, and their names are ones privacy pros are sure to recognize: Former U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) CPO Mary Ellen Callahan, CIPP/US, Former European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) Peter Hustinx and General Electric (GE) CPO Peter Lefkowitz, CIPP/US.

“I’m delighted to welcome to our board such illustrious privacy professionals,” said IAPP President and CEO Trevor Hughes, CIPP.

And that they are.

Mary Ellen Callahan, CIPP/US

In addition to being DHS’s longest-serving CPO prior to her departure in 2012 when she left to found Jenner & Block’s Privacy and Information Governance Practice, which she currently chairs, Callahan is a nationally recognized privacy attorney. She was also the recipient of the 2013 IAPP Vanguard Award, being honored as “a pioneer in government privacy and data security accountability, developing innovative privacy policies that have shaped and matured information management both at the DHS and beyond.”

Hustinx was first appointed EDPS in 2004 and reappointed for his second term in 2009, remaining in office until December of this past year. He previously served as president of the Dutch Data Protection Authority and chairman of the Article 29 Working Party, and he has helped shape national and international privacy law for nearly 40 years.

Peter Hustinx

When his selection as a board member was first announced in January, he said, "I am delighted to join the IAPP Board of Directors at a time when the need for more effective protection of our privacy and personal data has never been greater. Helping to ensure that privacy professionals can play their crucial role in providing such protection is a strategic task which attracts and inspires me."

Peter Lefkowitz, CIPP/US

As CPO at GE, Lefkowitz is responsible for the development and implementation of data protection policies and practices globally as well as standards for GE’s Industrial Internet programs. He is also engaged in the public policy implications of the Internet of Things, big data and innovative technologies. Previously, he was vice president and chief privacy officer at Oracle Corporation.

“At such a pivotal time for the privacy profession, the experience and commitment they bring will help us continue to actively build awareness of the importance of privacy knowledge globally and deliver training and education to support that mission,” Hughes said of the new board members.

The IAPP has also announced new roles within its executive committee, including the appointment of Lockheed Martin Corporation CPO and Associate General Counsel James M. Byrne, CIPP/US, CIPP/G, CIPT, as chairman.

“It’s an honor to take on the role of chairman and I’m delighted to work with such an illustrious group of privacy leaders,” Byrne said.

In addition to Byrne and Hughes, the 2015 IAPP Executive Committee includes Vice Chairman Hilary M. Wandall, CIPP/US, CIPP/E, CIPM, Treasurer JoAnn Stonier, Secretary Gabriela Krader and Past Chairman Scott Taylor, CIPP/US.