Nuala O'Connor

I am a board director, global advisor, and Fortune 10 technology governance leader, legal executive, and CXO. I guide public companies, large U.S. government agencies, and world-leading institutions to sustainable business growth and risk mitigation. I combine my expertise and experience to guide organizations through technology and business model transformation, complex regulatory environments, and global economic and societal change. I empower boards to unlock shareholder value with emerging and frontier technologies while maintaining organizational integrity and human-centered values.I currently advise several multinational companies on emerging technology - particularly AI - risk, governance, and deployment. I previously served as Walmart’s Senior Vice President and Chief Counsel for Digital Citizenship, and have held numerous leading corporate roles, including foundational work on Amazon’s privacy and customer trust programs and General Electric's information governance program. My government roles include serving as the first Chief Privacy Officer for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, where I directed privacy policy throughout the 180,000-employee department and across the highest levels of the Administration. I have served on several public commissions and numerous nonprofit boards, and as the President and CEO of the Center for Democracy & Technology.I am a frequent commentator in trade, local, national, and international media, including all major US broadcast networks, NPR, BBC, and other European and Asian television. I have testified before the United States Congress, the European Parliament, and the European Commission, and I led the first US delegation to the International Conference of Data Protection Commissioners. I am a lifetime member of the Council on Foreign Relations.HIGHLIGHTS> Guides adoption & deployment of emerging technologies for global organizations.> Transforms business models for sustainable growth across strategy, technology, and risk.> Protectsstakeholder trust & brand value by mitigating reputational risk.BOARD STRENGTHS> Audit> Emerging Technologies> AI, Privacy & Cybersecurity Strategy> Regulatory & Compliance> Global Risk Mitigation> Global Data Governance> Reputational Risk Management & Crisis Response> Public Policy & Government Relations> Talent Identification & Development