Tell us about your role
As Head of Service Delivery, Glenn Daif-Burns manages our client delivery teams ensuring we develop successful partnerships with our clients. We should always be responsive to their ongoing requirements, and have an understanding of their business operations and future needs. This ensures we continuously broaden our relationships, improve our services, and develop new products. We also utilise our knowledge and experience with current clients to support new business development, which I also oversee.
How did you get into the data privacy profession? Tell us a little about your journey
Completely by accident! Prior to working in the data privacy space, I worked in several sectors, including media production and recruitment. In 2003 I began working for a company that holds Europe’s longest-running data privacy annual conference. I originally joined to manage their events and publication subscriptions, eventually becoming the General Manager. After 13 years I moved to a privacy software provider, managing their European operations, and then moved into Account Management. 20 years after joining the data privacy community, I joined HewardMills in March 2023 as Head of Service Delivery.
What training and education have you found most helpful to your role?
Training or education with an element of project management is definitely a bonus. Although a degree in media production doesn’t initially seem relevant, working on a film production is the same as any other project. You need to be able to work in a team, manage different types of personalities, work under pressure to tight deadlines, and be very organised.
Other than the knowledge, what other attributes would you say are invaluable in this field?
Good time management. Balancing urgent work and business-as-usual tasks is tricky but vitally important. Making sure you respond quickly and clearly to clients will help to manage expectations, build rapport, and ultimately develop a strong partnership.
How do you see technology changing the industry in the next 5 years?
AI is a big challenge facing every organisation. Employees are already using AI in many different ways, with or without the knowledge of their employers. Very few organisations have appropriate AI policies in place or consider the privacy implications if personal data is put into AI platforms. Now is the time for them to implement a policy before it’s too late. HewardMills has prepared guidance on this and continues to monitor developments in AI and other disruptive technologies.
What would you say are the ingredients to maintaining a great client relationship?
Listening and gaining a good understanding of a client’s requirements. Having clear action points/next steps from every meeting, and keeping stakeholders regularly updated. It’s super important to have a clear understanding of the product or service clients deliver to their own clients or how the nature of their business impacts their employees. Think about what they are focusing on as a business, not just in privacy. How can we support them best with their short, medium, and long-term requirements. Having this top of mind sets a great foundation to building and retaining happy clients.
What’s your favourite way to unwind when you’re not at work?
Days out with the family and walking the dog. Listening to music, especially discovering new performers and going to gigs. Playing and watching football.
What’s one thing people would be surprised to learn about you?
I got married in Las Vegas, with an Elvis impersonator present at the ceremony. My wife is a big fan and I thought she was going to run off with him!
Finally, if you could have a beer/wine/mocktail with a historical figure, who would that be and what would you want to talk about?
Leonardo da Vinci. Incredible mind. Artist, scientist, and so much more. I’d love to know how he came up with ideas so ahead of their time, by hundreds of years, like a helicopter.
Was he really a time traveller from the future?!
