This month at AIIM19, Paul Lanois will be recognized as AIIM's Rising Star. A new leadership award category this year, the award is meant to recognize young professionals in our field.
Paul is not only a rising star, but his accomplishments to date also make him a credible subject matter expert who has been more than generous in sharing his knowledge and experience, especially within the realm of privacy and protection, with members. If you haven't connected with him yet, please do so, especially if you want to privacy and data protection or emerging technologies--he's your guy!
Name Paul Lanois
Position Director
Company Fieldfisher
Where do you live in?
I was very lucky to have had the opportunity to live and work in different countries throughout the years: I am now in the US but I was living in Hong Kong last year, working at the Hong King office of my previous employer, and I was based in Switzerland the previous three years. In the past ten years, I have also lived in France, the United Kingdom Luxembourg.
How long have you worked in information management?
My background is in law and I have been involved in privacy, data management and information governance for the past ten years, where I have advised on such matters in the context of transactions as well as in relation to new business projects and initiatives, day-to-day affairs from an in-house perspective (e.g. reviewing data subject access requests, reviewing and drafting contracts and data processing agreements, etc.) and working on protection compliance programs.
What does your work entail? Do you have company support? How are you helping drive the goals of your office through your work?
My work relates to legal aspects pertaining to privacy, data protection cybersecurity. Never a dull day considering the increasing interest worldwide in privacy and data protection (as shown by recent scandals or large scale data breaches) and the new laws and regulations which have been or are in the process of being implemented globally. I recall that when I started working about 10 years ago, there were hardly any privacy lawyers out there and privacy was not really a field on its own, yet with the emergence of new regulations such as the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), privacy has now become huge! Of course, this is not limited to Europe: other countries have been inspired by the GDPR and have since bulked up their privacy and data protection requirements or are in the process of doing so, therefore it looks like it is a global movement. There is now a greater interest privacy than before.
What has been the biggest success in your career in information management?
I had the opportunity to work on quite a few digital transformation projections as well as exciting new projects such as new apps and tools leveraging new technologies such as AI and deep learning, blockchain and connected devices (IoT). Technology has always been a great interest of mine, so having the opportunity to work on such projects is very exciting! One of the most exciting projects I worked on involved the use of virtual and augmented reality in order to enhance interaction and engagement of clients and prospects. I also previously worked at a financial institution which launched a connected device designed, together with the use of associated apps, to teach kids about the value of saving money and managing cash and digital money. The toy even made sounds and facial expressions and could serve as a nightlight and alarm clock! I had the privilege of being awarded the Association of Corporate Counsel's 'Top 10 30-Somethings' and the CompTIA AITP Innovator Award, both last year, so that was really good!
What’s your current biggest work challenge?
My biggest work challenge would probably be keeping track of new developments since things are changing really quickly! Technology changes at a rapid pace but that is also what makes it so interesting! As an in-house legal counsel at a large multinational organization, a challenge of my previous job was also keeping track of global developments, since the organization had a global coverage and it was crucial to keep abreast of new laws or rulings from regions all around the world (including countries where I do not speak or read the local language!).
What does Intelligent Information Management mean to you?
In my view, intelligent information management is about how the management of information should look like, leveraging emerging technologies (e.g. AI, , IoT, etc.) while assuring the privacy and data protection of individuals whose information is collected or processed. Customer trust in online services drives usage patterns. It is therefore crucial for businesses to understand public sentiment concerning the sharing of their information online, as it has tangible consequences for their bottom line.
You’re presenting again at the AIIM conference this March in San Diego, can you give us a preview of what you’ll be sharing?
Certainly! A lot of international organizations had to do a lot of work in relation to the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) but with new laws lurking in the horizon, it will be important for organizations to understand what they need to do instead of a check-the-box approach.
You are also receiving AIIM’s Rising Star award, which recognizes rising young professionals, at AIIM19! Congrats!! What has been of most value to being a member of AIIM?
Thank you!!! I am so honored and grateful to be recognized by AIIM. Being a member of AIIM is very important to me since it is a very active and engaging community of like-minded professionals. I particularly enjoyed the conversations with @Jessica Lombardo, @Soo Kang, @Gregory Reid and @Madi McAllister in relation to the regular AIIM privacy webinars since I found these discussions to be very insightful and fun! I am also regularly amazed by the number of content made available on AIIM's since a lot of these resources are free.
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