RingCentral's Paola Zeni Talks the Changing Role of the CPO
In today's threat landscape of ransomware, data privacy has become a critical concern for businesses.
As organisations collect and process vast amounts of personal information, the role of Chief Privacy Officer (CPO) has emerged as a crucial position to ensure ethical data handling and compliance with ever-evolving regulations.
This role has of late taken on even greater significance. The rapid advancement of AI and the increasing complexity of global data protection laws have meant that many have had to adapt their strategies, tactics and mode of operation in order to keep up.
So what does a day in the life of a CPO look like now, and how have the changing world around it forced it to change, and what can we expect for the future of the role?
To gain insight into this vital role and its evolving nature, we spoke with Paola Zeni, CPO at cloud-based communications and collaboration solutions RingCentral.
- Paola helps organisations identify business risks related to privacy, compliance, and AI, as well as opportunities to turn privacy into a strategic competitive advantage, by building effective teams and by establishing cross-functional executive partnerships. She has worked for three years as CPO at her current role RingCentral, and was previous Senior Director of Global Privacy at Palo Alto for five years.
The role of a CPO extends far beyond mere compliance, encompassing a wide range of responsibilities that impact every aspect of an organisation's operations.
"As CPO I work with all teams and functions across the organisation to ensure that data is used legitimately and ethically, incorporating privacy considerations into every process that touches personal information, to facilitate the adoption of our services and to make RingCentral a trusted brand for privacy," Paola explains.
This comprehensive approach involves collaborating with product and engineering teams to implement privacy by design, providing guidance and training to raise awareness, developing policies to address privacy risks and opportunities, establishing processes for legal compliance, and creating tools and resources for employees and customers.
How CPO's role has changed
The CPO's role has evolved significantly in recent years, driven by the increasing importance of data in business operations and the rapidly changing legal landscape. Paola belives that the role of CPO has evolved significantly over the past few years.
"The opportunities to use data to benefit our customers have increased tremendously, especially with AI, but so have the risks and the responsibilities for an organisation like RingCentral," she say. "The legal landscape has also had a dramatic transformation, with new laws coming into force all over the world, adding new compliance requirements for companies."
This evolution has transformed the CPO role from a purely compliance-focused position to that of a strategic business partner, helping organisations navigate the complex intersection of data privacy, innovation, and business growth.
One of the key challenges faced by CPOs is ensuring compliance with diverse data privacy laws across different regions while enabling the necessary flow of data across borders.
"We continuously monitor and adapt to the evolving legal landscape, ensuring our policies and practices align with the requirements of each region we operate in," explains Paola. "Additionally, we use our extensive knowledge of operations and privacy laws to put in place comprehensive data governance frameworks and maintain the practices and certifications that are necessary to facilitate compliant data flows across borders, regardless of where they're taking place in the world."
The rise of AI has introduced new complexities and opportunities in the realm of data privacy. As the person responsible for building RingCentral's AI policy, Paola stresses the importance of ethical AI development.
"We believe in trustworthy AI and we are committed to developing our AI ethically and with strong privacy protections not as an afterthought, but very early in the stages of development. We partner very closely with our product counsels and with regulatory counsel to embed privacy principles across all aspects of our products and services that implement AI."
This commitment to ethical AI development involves using an Ethical AI Development Toolkit, pursuing transparency and explainability, empowering customers with choice and control, and assessing AI systems for potential biases.
What next for CPOs
Looking ahead, Paola anticipates several key trends in data privacy and security.
"I anticipate we'll see a continued proliferation of data privacy laws across jurisdictions, which will necessitate ever-greater data governance. Growing consumer awareness around data privacy risks will also drive greater transparency and stronger protection measures from organisations, particularly after the widespread adoption of AI."
To address these trends, Paola emphasises the need for organisations to foster close collaboration between privacy teams and other departments, avoiding a siloed approach to data protection.
As the role of CPO continues to evolve, Paola expects an increased focus on regulatory compliance across regions, shaping ethical AI strategies, and strengthening customer confidence through transparent and responsible data practices.
By embracing these challenges and opportunities, CPOs like Paola are helping to build a future where innovation and privacy can coexist, benefiting both businesses and consumers alike.
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