What makes a great Chief Privacy Officer: Lessons from Verizon’s Sue Vinci

I recently spoke with Sue Vinci, CPO of Verizon, about what makes a great privacy leader. You can watch the full Field Trips episode below, but here are my top takeaways.

When you’ve spent more than two decades shaping privacy for one of the largest telcos in the world, you learn a few things about what really matters.

In the latest episode of Field Trips, I sat down in New York City with Sue Vinci, Chief Privacy Officer at Verizon, who offered a rare look into what drives a respected privacy leader. From the discipline it takes to stay composed under pressure, to the curiosity that keeps her team evolving.

“If you show up with your hair on fire, everybody else’s hair is going to be on fire,” Vinci told me. “As the leader of that organization, you have to show up and set the tone.”

It’s that sense of groundedness and deep understanding of people that has helped Vinci lead one of the most complex privacy programs in global business.

On what makes a great CPO

Vinci and I talked about what separates a good Chief Privacy Officer from a great one.

“You’ve got to have the legal expertise, the knowledge, the know-how,” she said. “But a couple of characteristics I think are really critical. One is composure... and the second thing I would say that I think is really critical is curiosity.”

That curiosity Vinci explained, must extend beyond the regulatory landscape. It’s also about understanding your people: your stakeholders, your partners, and the business itself.

“Having curiosity about your clients, what matters to your stakeholders, what are their goals, their challenges, their successes, their failures, helps them view you as a true partner.”

From the “house of no” to a trusted partner

Every privacy leader at some point has faced the stereotype of being the “Department of No.” Vinci’s take reframes the role entirely.

“Do you think of privacy as a regulatory obligation? Certainly, it is. But is that your priority?” she asked. “Customers want to do business with companies they can trust. People want to work for companies they can trust. Privacy is a key component of trust.”

That mindset shift, from compliance to strategic advantage, is central to Vinci’s leadership philosophy.

“When you frame it that way, and you realize it is a strategic imperative, you’re coming to the table with a different mindset. You can partner with your business.”

On building trust through presence

Vinci also emphasized a truth that every privacy professional should take to heart: trust is built long before a crisis.

“It’s too late to find a friend when you need a friend,” she said. “You’ve got to be there day in and day out as a true partner.”

It’s a principle I deeply share. True partnership means showing up to listen, not just to enforce. As Vinci put it, privacy teams have to meet the business where it is. Whether that’s sitting in on product meetings or collaborating with marketing and CX teams to make sure privacy flows reflect the brand experience.

The future of privacy?

When I asked Vinci what keeps her up at night, her answer was surprisingly simple.

“I have the privilege of working with the most extraordinary, most talented team of privacy professionals in the world... So I have to say that with that kind of bench, I sleep very well at night.”

That doesn’t mean the future isn’t full of challenges. Sue called out the “new normal” of an endlessly evolving state-by-state privacy patchwork and the fatigue it creates for companies and consumers alike.

“If I could change one thing, it would be to enact comprehensive federal privacy legislation,” she said. “Consumers would benefit from some certainty… Businesses could direct resources to a single set of requirements.”

On advice for the next generation

When I asked Vinci what she’d tell aspiring privacy professionals, she didn’t hesitate.

“Be the very best you can be in the job you have today,” she said, quoting Steve Martin: “Be so good they can’t ignore you.”

It’s a piece of advice that applies to privacy and beyond.

“It may not guarantee you that the next opportunity comes your way, but it certainly improves your chances,” she added. “It also increases the opportunities that could come your way.”

Final thoughts

From her early days in litigation to leading one of the world’s most advanced privacy operations, Vinci has modeled what it means to evolve with the field, without losing sight of the people behind the work.

“Every day is different,” she said. “There’s no shortage of interesting work, lots of challenging questions, lots of balancing risk, and it’s just super interesting, and I love it.”

I left our conversation reminded that great privacy leaders don’t just protect data, they build trust, drive strategy, and elevate the profession for the next generation.

You can also watch the interview directly on YouTube