CIPT, CIPP/E, FIP, FAICD, CMgr FIML
Annelies is the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP) Vanguard Oceania 2023 Award recipient for demonstrating exceptional leadership, expertise and creativity in privacy and data protection. Annelies is also one of Australia’s Superstars of STEM, selected in 2021-2022 for her widely recognised privacy expertise.
With over two decades experience, she has held several senior leadership roles in privacy and related fields. Annelies’s career in privacy started in 2001 at the Australian privacy regulator where she managed privacy audits and investigations. Annelies co-founded the IAPP in Australia and New Zealand in 2008. She held elected roles during her six year Board term, including as President.
Annelies has been consulting in privacy since 2012 working with clients globally to uplift privacy maturity. She has led and conducted hundreds of client deliverables, including privacy impact assessments, privacy health checks, data breach prevention and response, regulatory engagement and built privacy programs so clients can increase trust and confidence.
She has presented at local and global forums, including APEC, Asia Pacific Privacy Authorities, IAPP, Centre for Information Policy and Leadership, Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD), Australian Information Security Association and Standards Australia. Women in Security featured her career journey and described her as a trailblazer in privacy.
With an MBA in general international management (distinction) from the Vlerick Business School in Belgium, Annelies also has a first class honours Law, Arts (majoring in computer science) and Science degrees with emphasis on artificial intelligence from The University of Queensland in Australia. She is admitted as a legal practitioner in NSW, Australia. She is a Fellow of the AICD, a Chartered Manager and Fellow of the Institute of Managers and Leaders Australia | New Zealand, and an IAPP Fellow of Information Privacy.
