With more than 40 participants, the first meeting of the newly founded IAPP KnowledgeNet Rhine-Ruhr was a resounding success. The regional network of the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP) brings together data protection experts, corporate representatives, consultants, and government officials to discuss current developments in data protection law and share practical experiences.
Data protection professionals from the law firms Oppenhoff & Partner, Pauly & Partner, and Bird & Bird, as well as the data protection consulting firm 2B Advice, jointly organized the regular meetings.
Focus on International Data Transfers
Jürgen Thomas, Chief Privacy Officer at Avaya Inc., kicked off the technical portion of the event with a presentation on the Binding Corporate Rules (BCR). He explained the significance of these group-wide data protection regulations for companies operating internationally and also touched on Avaya’s motivation to Binding Corporate Rules as the „Gold Standard,“ a visible symbol of putting Data protection to set.
In his view, the time is ripe, Binding Corporate Rules increasingly as an alternative to Standard contractual clauses to consider, since both companies and regulatory authorities now have extensive experience with such approval procedures.
Fabian Niemann of Bird & Bird then explained the connections between the Schrems-Ruling by the European Court of Justice, the discussions at the time regarding the Privacy Shield as well as the future of international data transfers. The focus was on the legal challenges facing companies that personal data transfer within the group or to external service providers outside the European Union.
Dialogue with the Data Protection Authority
The ensuing discussion was enriched by Nils Schröder from the North Rhine-Westphalia Data Protection Supervisory Authority. He explained the supervisory authorities’ position on international data transfers and openly addressed the participants’ questions. In doing so, he showed understanding for the challenges faced by companies operating globally, while at the same time emphasizing the supervisory authorities’ responsibility to ensure compliance with national and European data protection regulations.
The participants particularly appreciated that Mr. Schröder addressed the audience’s questions in concrete terms and provided practical answers. The direct dialogue between the business community, consultants, and regulators contributed significantly to the event’s success.
Marco Schröder of 2B Advice, who served as the evening’s moderator, offered a positive assessment of the event. The numerous questions and the lively discussion demonstrated that data protection officers face challenges that are both exciting and demanding. During the networking session that followed, featuring finger food and drinks, the topics covered in the presentations were explored in greater depth in a relaxed atmosphere.
The IAPP KnowledgeNet Rhine-Ruhr Remains Active
The positive feedback from participants confirmed the success of the IAPP KnowledgeNet Rhine-Ruhr concept as early as the first meeting. From the outset, the network’s goal was to regularly bring together data protection experts from companies, government agencies, and consulting firms and to promote professional exchange in the region.
The IAPP KnowledgeNet Rhein-Ruhr continues to successfully pursue this goal today. The network remains active and regularly organizes meetings on current data protection, Compliance- and governance issues. These events offer privacy professionals the opportunity to discuss new legal requirements, recent court rulings, technical developments, and best practices.
As a co-organizer, 2B Advice has been supporting knowledge sharing within the data protection community for many years. The IAPP KnowledgeNet Rhein-Ruhr has established itself as a permanent platform for professional dialogue and plays an important role in connecting data protection experts in the region.
For more information about the IAPP KnowledgeNet and the regional chapters, please visit on the website of the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP).
German 
English 
Italian 
French