This week I am fortunate to be penning my letter from my new favourite country, New Zealand! Not only has New Zealand got a rock-star economy, but it has a rock-star privacy team in Privacy Commissioner John Edwards, freshly appointed Chief Government Privacy Officer Russell Burnard and ACC Strategic Privacy Manager Paul Holmes.

At this week’s events, the audience looked on in rapt attention in both Wellington and Auckland. The performances were all highly entertaining and insightful. The New Zealand privacy commissioner is going to bare his teeth and be a tougher regulator, make privacy easy and provide New Zealanders with a host of new tools, including an apps development kit, “Need To Know or Nice To Know.” Burnard showed his ability to execute change management: He was inspirational, and nobody in the audience would be left doubting that Russell would in fact succeed in his challenge to increase the level of public trust in the public service across the community. “Privacy is not rocket science, but it’s hard … and if you don’t get it right, you’re screwed.”

Holmes gave us a textbook case study into the transformative approach the ACC took to their breach in 2012, with a wry humour and candid approach. It’s not hard to see how he has enabled his team to create a golden standard for privacy practice in our region.

Elsewhere in the world, Apple CEO Tim Cook’s open privacy letter has underscored the importance of privacy to brand reputation. No doubt the C-Suite is now sitting up and taking notice of how privacy can impact on their business models. Forget monetization of all of your customers’ data; it will breach their trust, and break your relationship. Think Prof. Alessandro Acquisti and the value of transparency. There is no doubt that the new Healthkit and health app will have great value, but privacy and  security are just part of the concerns coming from doctors who, in principle, are open to using such systems, as reported by the AMA.

Usefulness and privacy are, of course, the core of business success in this digital era. And isn’t it amazing that someone actually steals a colleague’s log-in and steals information all under the gaze of CCTV and boasts of it in an email while they are being recorded? Thank goodness all those cameras watching us do actually return some benefit.

It’s time to explore the delights of Auckland, so I wish you all the best in the Grand Final. I hope the Swans do OK, but Go the Hawks! It really is hard to see the old Victorian teams lose at the MCG.