Sylvia is a senior executive who provides strategic data risk management and privacy compliance advice. She is the founder of Trusteva Consulting, where she freelances on a part-time basis advising executives on how to implement their data-driven strategies in alignment with international privacy regulations and evolving AI governance trends. She brings over 20 years’ experience in her former role as Big4 Partner, specializing in privacy program design, testing and implementation for large-scale digital transformation projects, and helping clients to integrate holistic data governance and privacy solutions into their operating environments. She began her privacy career with the Information and Privacy Commissioner/Ontario, and has held various leadership positions, including as interim Chief Privacy Officer and as a risk management professional heading up the national data protection and privacy practices at both Deloitte and KPMG in Canada. In her most recent role as Head of the Global Cyber Privacy Solutions practice at KPMG International, she was responsible for rolling out the firms’ global privacy strategy and Privacy Centre of Excellence, as well as market facing technologies through vendor alliances. She played a pivotal role leading the development of international and national privacy and ethical standards. Notably, she served as the Canadian Chair of the ISO 31700 Privacy by Design Standard Committee and launched a global Privacy by Design Certification Program to assist organizations in demonstrating compliance with international data protection laws and data best practices. These PbD certifications were successfully leveraged as proof of compliance in high profile, multi-jurisdictional regulatory investigations and in the context of Parliamentary Standing Committee hearings.
Sylvia was named by Borden Ladner Gervais (BLG) LLP, a premier North American law firm, as one of the top 10 inspiring Canadian female privacy leaders and nominated for the Trailblazer Award by the Women of Influence for her work in Privacy by Design. She is a lawyer by training and is often asked to speak about the intersection between privacy, digital governance and AI.
Career Highlights
- Program Co-Chair, Osgoode Hall Law School, Cyber and Privacy Continuing Professional Education (2022 – present)
- Former Chair and Head of Canadian Delegation, ISO PC/317 (31700) Consumer Protection: Privacy by Design for Consumer Goods and Services
- Former Advisor to CIO Strategy Council, CICSO 101:2019 Automated Decision Systems using Machine Learning, Ethics by Design and Ethical Use
- Former Advisor to federal government for Canada’s National Digital Strategy
- Former Interim Chief Privacy Officer at LifeLabs; Interim Chief Privacy Officer at Rick Hansen Foundation
Key Skills
Privacy Target Operating Models, AI and Data Governance, International and Canadian Privacy Compliance – PIAs (GDPR/PIPEDA/PIPA/PHIPA/Law25/CASL/GLBA/HIPPA/EU AI ACT/C-27 & AIDA), Regulatory Change Management, Regulatory Exam Preparation & Remediation, Privacy Risk & Maturity Assessments, Privacy Audits and Risk Control Frameworks, Privacy Program Design, Implementation & Automation, Enterprise-wide Compliance and Privacy Training Programs, Privacy Compliance Strategy and Audit Testing Plans, Privacy Testing & Monitoring, Ethical & Responsible Use of Data, Privacy Governance, Cross-Border Data Transfers, Data Residency/Localization Rules, Privacy by Design & ISO 31700 Certifications, Consent Management Frameworks, DSAR Integration, Data Inventories/ROPA/Mapping, Privacy Enhancing Technologies.