Next-Gen Voices: Shaping Privacy in 2025

The great news for the industry is that a next generation wave of privacy leaders is emerging as we head into a new year—seasoned privacy professionals from across the industry who are articulating how we protect personal data, navigate complex regulatory environments, and build trust in an increasingly interconnected world.

I've had the privilege of working alongside many of these innovative minds in privacy, and I love hearing the fresh perspectives, insights and strategies they are bringing to the privacy field. As I mentioned, fresh voices and proactive community engagement are a keystone for the privacy community in the upcoming year.

To that end, I'm excited to introduce eight privacy leaders, deftly orchestrating the complex symphony that is privacy, and their key insights for the year ahead.

These leaders represent fresh takes on the field of privacy, building upon the foundations of the industry and adapting in new ways to the demands that are ahead. We’re lucky to have these voices in the Transcend community, and the opportunity to benefit from their insights and visions on privacy leadership today, and in the future.

Meet the Next-Gen Privacy Innovators

Idriss Kechida, Global Data Protection Officer at OpenAI

His approach is pragmatic and forward-thinking: "I believe AI is poised to play a transformative role in privacy management. … I always recommend businesses stay informed, experiment with these technologies, and begin small—perhaps by enhancing one or two processes—before scaling their efforts as they gain confidence."

Idriss Kechida leads global data protection efforts at OpenAI, bringing deep expertise in emerging technology and data privacy.. He sees unprecedented potential in emerging technologies, noting that "we are only at the beginning of what AI can achieve in this field."

Sonia Siddiqui, Chief Privacy Officer, ex-Kohler, ex-Coinbase

She emphasizes the importance of practicality and humility: "Being able to understand the specific business area and their goals allows privacy professionals to provide much more practical advice." Looking forward, she sees a need for "identifying privacy and data protection KPI/KRIs, models for continuous monitoring and data visualization."

With a distinguished background leading privacy efforts at prominent companies like Kohler and Coinbase, Sonia Siddiqui brings a wealth of cross-industry privacy expertise. She advocates for a principle-based approach to privacy. "Given the myriad of existing and emerging privacy regulations, trying to boil the ocean and address all of them in an immediate and comprehensive way can be overwhelming," she explains. Her solution is to "drive down to core privacy principles and funnel programmatic and compliance priorities through them."

Adam Trister, VP & Chief Privacy Officer at NetApp

His core message is clear: "Organizations should embrace openness and provide clear insights into their compliance measures." He believes this approach does more than meet regulatory requirements—it "builds trust, fosters stronger customer relationships, and demonstrates a commitment to safeguarding customers' most critical asset, their data."

As Chief Privacy Officer at NetApp, Adam Trister brings a strategic perspective to data protection and customer trust. For Trister, transparency is the ultimate differentiator. "In today's data-driven world, our customers have become increasingly aware of the importance of data protection," he observes.

Melanie Selvadurai, Privacy Manager at TikTok

As Privacy Manager at TikTok, Melanie Selvadurai champions a practical, user-centric approach to privacy. "Privacy cannot influence corporate strategy and business processes effectively if the recommendations from the privacy team are not practical," she emphasizes. Her philosophy centers on bridging the gap between risk identification and implementation: "When a privacy team identifies risks, it is vital for them to collaborate with engineering teams capable of implementing the necessary fixes and to provide actionable recommendations."

Looking ahead, Selvadurai advocates for a "know your customer" approach in privacy management. "As users become increasingly informed about their privacy rights and the benefits of safeguarding them, organisations must be more attuned and agile in responding to these needs," she explains. She points to DSR requests as an example where deep understanding of user needs, combined with cross-functional collaboration, can deliver more efficient and effective outcomes. This approach ensures privacy delivers tangible, bottom-up impact on strategy while demonstrating clear value to the organization.

Brandon Kerstens, VP AGC & Chief Privacy Officer at Match Group

He is challenging how organizations think about privacy. "Shift the narrative away from zero-sum thinking," he advises. "Privacy and business objectives aren't mutually exclusive; in fact, they can complement one another."

Brandon Kerstens serves as Vice President and Chief Privacy Officer at Match Group, where he oversees the company's global privacy strategy and legal compliance. Looking ahead, he sees AI as a critical focus, predicting that "the spotlight will increasingly be on AI, with laws addressing issues like transparency, accountability, and ethical AI use." His advice for staying ahead? "Establish AI inventories and conduct AI risk assessments, preparing for emerging regulations and showcasing a commitment to responsible innovation." Moreover, he believes privacy professionals must "transcend into strategic advisors, aligning legal requirements with business goals."

Cara Dearman, Sr. Director, Head of Privacy at Shutterfly

Cara Dearman brings deep expertise in privacy technology and AI governance to her role as a privacy leader. "The privacy landscape changes constantly and privacy professionals who want to succeed in this space must dedicate significant time to learning and staying up to speed on what is happening," she explains. This isn't just about keeping up with regulations—it's about mastering the technology. "Privacy professionals should understand how cookies and pixels work and how they are used by marketing teams, different types of AI models and how they are created and used, and key information security practices."

Looking ahead to 2025's challenges, Dearman sees AI integration as a critical focus. "As AI becomes embedded in tools used throughout businesses, privacy challenges will only grow," she notes. The concerns are nuanced and far-reaching: "Privacy professionals will face questions about whether AI is making inferences around sensitive data, even if the business otherwise does not process sensitive data, whether there was proper consent for data used to train AI models, and how to go about getting that consent." Her solution? New governance processes will be key to businesses meeting this challenge successfully.

John Eby, Chief Privacy Officer at VSP Vision

He's particularly passionate about the details of privacy implementation: "So much of cookie consent management and compliance is in the details of how online tracking technologies are deployed and configured.” His advice? Privacy professionals "can't be afraid to develop expertise in those details as a part of their partnership with marketing and IT."

John Eby leads privacy strategy at VSP Vision, bringing a uniquely human-centered approach to data protection. "We're all digital citizens," he says, and by "nurturing people's natural curiosity into why privacy matters in our personal lives," his team has transformed internal engagement. They relaunched their Privacy Champions program with this philosophy, "building connections into areas of the business where we previously didn't have as much insight."

Peter Borner, Chief Trust Officer at The Data Privacy Group

Borner advocates for a privacy-by-design approach: "It's about making privacy a natural part of the way products and services are developed rather than treating it as a compliance checkbox." His ultimate advice is straightforward: "Transparency is everything. Customers want to understand how their data is being used and what measures are in place to protect it."

As Chief Trust Officer at The Data Privacy Group, Peter Borner brings comprehensive insights into the evolving landscape of global privacy management. He sees 2025's biggest privacy challenge as "keeping up with the increasing complexity of privacy regulations across multiple jurisdictions while managing the vast amounts of data they collect and process." His solution? "Smart automation solutions that integrate seamlessly into their operations."

The Road Ahead

As we flip the calendar to 2025, these voices represent more than individual perspectives—they signal a collective understanding that privacy is a dynamic and strategic imperative.

Whether it’s the AI-driven technological innovations or principle-based strategies, these leaders see privacy as a strategic enabler that drives innovation, builds trust, and respects individual agency.

They, like so many next generation leaders in the privacy industry, are reinventing the future of privacy that moves away from a compliance-checkbox approach and instead positions privacy as a holistic framework that touches every aspect of organizational design.

At Transcend, we’re excited to celebrate our incredible next-gen privacy leaders and look forward to continuing the dialogue across the next-gen privacy community in 2025.