Why Privacy Professionals Need to be “Paranoid”

Privacy work is challenging work. It’s about the details. It’s about specifics. It’s about nuance. There’s a lot to think about in a world where change is the only constant, where relentless data collection, evolving regulations, and sophisticated cyber threats mean vigilance isn’t optional, it’s essential.

In this session, Stephen Collette, manager of the Privacy Team at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, along with special guests, will explore these areas and why privacy professionals are often seen as paranoid when it comes to data use. They’ll dive into the increasing rate of data collection and use, global privacy challenges, and the impact of Artificial Intelligence. Attendees will gain insights on what to watch for, how to mitigate risks, and the key questions everyone concerned about privacy should be asking. 

Stephen Collette manages the Privacy Operations team within the Office of the CIO at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. His focus is enabling data usage at the university while encouraging a privacy principle-based method of doing so, centered around the individual and potential impacts to them. Prior to joining University of Illinois, Stephen worked at a large, international corporation where he led both its Records and Information Management program and their multinational privacy program for its headquarters organization and the nine distinct institutions it owned. 

Jennah Graham received her undergraduate degree in psychology with a minor in business management. She subsequently attended Northern Illinois University College of Law where she received her Juris Doctorate. Jennah worked as a law clerk in private practice during law school. After receiving her law license, she continued in private practice as an attorney focusing on family law, residential real estate and general civil litigation. Jennah joined the University Ethics and Compliance Office in November of 2023 as a senior coordinator of compliance responsible for assisting the Associate Director of University Compliance with maintaining, enhancing, and evaluating the System level compliance program. 

Mike Cervone is a product owner for Technology Services. He is currently involved in bringing AI technologies to the Illinois campus, including Microsoft Copilot, ChatGPT, Zoom AI Companion and Google Gemini.