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Veronica Canton, Partner, Pierson Ferdinand LLP and Chief Vision Officer, Optimized Leverage

In this episode of The Data Diva Talks Privacy, Debbie Reynolds, "The Data Diva" speaks with Veronica Canton, Partner at Pierson Ferdinand LLP and Chief Vision Officer of Optimized Leverage, about careers in privacy, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence, as well as the importance of visibility, mentorship, and continuous learning in a rapidly evolving profession. Veronica shares her journey from commercial litigation into privacy, cybersecurity, and AI, explaining how certifications, networking, and consistently sharing knowledge helped create new professional opportunities.

The conversation explores how professionals can successfully transition into privacy and cybersecurity from a wide variety of backgrounds. Veronica discusses the importance of building expertise through continuous learning, developing a public presence, and sharing knowledge with others. Debbie and Veronica emphasize that privacy, cybersecurity, and AI are multidisciplinary fields that require perspectives from legal, technical, operational, business, and governance professionals.

They discuss the growing need for talent across privacy, cybersecurity, and AI, including roles that do not require legal training. The conversation highlights opportunities in compliance, data subject rights management, incident response, governance, risk management, and technology implementation. Veronica explains how transferable skills from previous careers can provide a strong foundation for success in emerging technology fields and why diverse viewpoints improve decision-making and organizational resilience.

The episode also examines the relationship between privacy, cybersecurity, AI governance, and global regulatory trends. Debbie and Veronica discuss cultural differences between the United States and Europe, including how historical events have influenced privacy laws and attitudes toward personal data. They explore how organizations can build demonstrable compliance programs, prepare for regulatory scrutiny, and create governance structures that support innovation while managing risk.

By popular demand, Debbie Reynolds Consulting is now offering executive briefings on emerging data privacy risks and how companies can avoid them. To learn more, visit the Executive briefings page on my website.

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Debbie Reynolds Consulting, LLC