(US and Canada) Robert Parr, Chief Data Officer, KPMG Advisory speaks with Robert Lutton, VP, Sandhill Consultants, about data governance at KPMG.

Parr says that his role is, in a way, the first line of defense when it comes to handling data assets and confidential client information. Being a multi-country-regulated entity, KPMG is constantly sending data back and forth to clients. Parr’s team focuses on the data/information-handling protocol in the organization. for working with data. Parr separates these protocols from policy, and says that these are more like tactical instructions for teams to handle the data correctly.

“This could pertain to when to ‘de-identify’ the data, handle PII, or it could be related to encryption protocols, or even increasingly dealing with issues such as AI and data ethics. It’s really helping teams navigate all of that complexity. It’s less about policy and really about helping our teams with that,” he adds.

Parr highlights KPMG’s information protection coaches who work with various teams to answer questions so that they don’t have to rely on guesswork.

Regarding how his team supports data ethics within the organization, Parr explains that the idea is to help teams build ethical decision-making skills about data and AI. “If you double click on data and AI, that’s really where my team comes in. It’s really looking at the scope of data, but also algorithms and technology because they all relate,” Parr says.

There’s also a major focus on training and exposing teams through simulation, videos, courses, and podcasts to raise sensitivity and awareness so that they can handle such situations. Parr points out that the CDO is in the right place to do it, in partnership with other risk organizations within their organization.

“Fast forward two years, this is going to be a really significant area of focus for CDOs, I believe. And when I look at the potential to impact reputation, if you have a failure in this area, it can be incredibly significant. So, I think the CDO really can elevate their role in the firm and show leadership in this area. And I think that’s an important responsibility we have in the coming years.”

Looking back at the past couple of years, Pass says that the biggest thing that really made a difference was just the decision to look beyond the traditional foundational functions and to connect the portfolio of services to the growth agenda.

“That’s such a critical first step. Every function in my organization has some connection to growth. And whether it’s enabling self-service or broadening the base of literacy of our people, or whether it’s helping navigate or connecting the use of our data assets, or even just supplying the utilities to help people go farther than they would on their own, that growth focus is a critical pivot point for CDOs. If they haven’t already started down that path, it’s an important first step,” Parr concludes.