Day In Life - Working In Privacy And Data Ethics

National Australia Bank

Ever wondered what Data + Artificial Intelligence (AI) 'experts' do? Interested in how data and AI powers are making the bank safer and simpler?

Here is the second look into this world with NAB's Privacy Lead in Privacy and Data Ethics, Jay.

My alarm goes off…

At 7am. I roll out of bed and get ready for the day. Work clothes are hanging out, prepared the day before so I don't have to waste time thinking about it. I often dress in a colour scheme that compliments whatever colour nail polish I have on! I'll then stop at my local coffee shop for an early morning pick-me-up for the tram in.

I am responsible for…

I help to ensure that we keep customer and colleague data privacy at the heart of everything we do. I develop and promote the data privacy messages and training that our team members receive. Privacy is a fundamental human right and that's part of the reason I'm so passionate about my role.

I got my job…

Networking! I met my wonderful manager, Jade, at a conference about data and analytics. When a role came up at NAB, I was encouraged to apply.

My typical day…

It's incredibly hard to tell what a day will look like in the privacy space, but right now I'm focused on our privacy training modules developed to help educate our colleagues. Our team is super agile, and the work is usually quite varied. Importantly, there is never a dull moment, and there is always more to learn!

My most memorable moment…

My manager and I were recently asked to present to Year 10-12 students in STEM about what privacy and data ethics meant and what a career in these areas could look like. It was such a privilege to see the 'aha!' moments on some of the students' faces, and how simple a message or concept can be when you sit down and try to remember how you learned when you were that age.

Most important skill for this job/career…

Unsurprisingly, privacy is all about people and what identifies us. It's about keeping personal information safe and secure, only collecting what you need, and being transparent about what you'll be doing with it. In essence, much of being a privacy professional is about caring for people and thinking about what you would expect if you were in their position.

Plan B…

I have been a student activist, a government employee, a lawyer and have volunteered in the non-profit sector. I think that if I ever decided I wasn't going to be a privacy professional anymore, I would probably go in a completely different direction!

In my personal life, I've performed improv comedy and eagerly play and run tabletop role-playing games like Dungeons & Dragons. If anything, I would probably see if I could cobble together a career in entertainment using these experiences.

Jay's story is part of NAB's annual Data + AI Month, hosted by the Data & Analytics Guild. It's an in-house series of data centric events that showcase the capabilities at NAB through learning and development sessions, panel discussions and partner demonstrations.

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