In this episode, Aakash Suri sits down with Naveed Malik, former Group DPO at Informa, to explore the human, practical, and strategic sides of data privacy leadership. Drawing from a career that spans regulatory enforcement at the UK ICO to leading privacy functions across healthcare, the public sector, and major global enterprises like Burberry, Naveed shares rare insights into the mindset shift required to move from rigid enforcement to becoming a trusted business advisor. 

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Shift from Enforcer to Trusted Advisor: Transitioning from a regulatory environment to an in-house leadership role requires moving beyond "what the law says" to evaluating risk, understanding business goals, and striking a pragmatic balance between compliance and commercial objectives.

Embed Early to Accelerate Velocity: Privacy by design isn't meant to slow down innovation. By getting into the room during the ideation phase and embedding requirements directly into Agile sprint plans, privacy becomes a business enabler rather than a launch-day blocker.

Master Executive Communication: When presenting to senior leaders and board members, prioritize simplicity and clarity. Frame the context, define the core risk, present practical options, and deliver a clear recommendation without drowning stakeholders in legal jargon.

Embrace the AI Governance Convergence: AI governance is rapidly becoming an essential responsibility for privacy leaders. Practitioners must proactively expand their skill sets to navigate how AI intersects with data protection rather than treating them as disconnected disciplines.

Invest in Stakeholder Relationships: Advancing to senior leadership hinges on building genuine cross-functional relationships, developing soft skills and emotional intelligence, and learning to speak the operational language of product and engineering teams.

BEST MOMENTS

"The balance between compliance and business objectives... it’s not about business objectives at all costs and it’s not about compliance at all costs. It’s somewhere in the middle." 

"The reason people perceive that privacy slows or blocks is because we come at a point where a lot of processes, products, or services that have been developed are ready to go." 

"Now I understand the context, what's the risk? Now I understand the risk, what are the options? Now I understand the options, what's your recommendation?" 

"I don't think you can reasonably expect to ignore AI governance as a tool that you arm yourself with as a privacy professional." 

"Everybody's leadership journey is different, and everybody is a different type of leader... you first and foremost have to have the ambition and the drive." 

TO CONNECT WITH NAVEED:

linkedin.com/in/naveed-malik-323994131 

TO CONNECT WITH YOUR HOST:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/aakashsuri-thoughtleader/ 

https://www.linkedin.com/company/as-privacy-ai-solutions-ltd/

Aakash Suri (@letstalkprivacypodcast) • Instagram photos and videos

https://www.tiktok.com/@letstalkprivacypodcast

HOST BIO

Aakash is a recognised Data Privacy leader who helps organisations navigate complex regulations with clarity, confidence, and common sense. Unlike the legalese-driven privacy pros who simply regurgitate the law, Aakash breaks down what the rules actually mean, translates them into plain English, and gives businesses three SMART, pragmatic steps to demonstrate real compliance.

This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/