Interview with Anne Jansen, CEO of CRANIUM
Anne, you have now been CEO of CRANIUM for 1 year. Can you give us a review of the past year? Are there any moments that stand out for you?
The past year has been an exciting and educational journey. One of the highlights was undoubtedly the first team meeting where we shared our vision and future plans. The sense of unity and the positive reactions were very pleasant. Also, the internal meetings and workshops where you can simply feel that everyone is on the same page give such a boost, and that’s a sign that CRANIUM is moving in the right direction.
In addition to these internal milestones, we have also taken steps in our external profiling. We are showcasing the talent and knowledge we have in-house much more and in a more structured way, which also reflects positively on our clients.
What are you most proud of?
Without a doubt, our entire team. Their growth, both professionally and personally, is visible daily and is inspiring. The enthusiasm of newcomers, such as those from our recent Master Class with 11 new starters, adds new energy and perspectives to CRANIUM. We can also be proud of our growth and continuous expansion as a company. It’s this combined growth – both human and business – that sets us apart and makes us stronger.
Compliance is often seen as merely bureaucratic paperwork, without understanding the real value it can add to an organisation
Are there misconceptions that exist about the industry? How do you try to counter these with CRANIUM?
Absolutely. Compliance is often seen as merely bureaucratic paperwork, without understanding the real value it can add to an organisation. Our role at CRANIUM is not only to help companies protect, secure and manage their data, but also to actively think about creating added value, including with all the new European initiatives that are coming. Another misconception is the idea that privacy hinders innovation. On the contrary: real innovation respects and integrates privacy.
At CRANIUM, we strive to correct these misconceptions and help organisations make these principles work to their advantage.
As a consultancy specialising in data governance, privacy and security, we try to support and advise organisations as best as possible. Anne, can you tell us about the importance of these services in the current business landscape?
One of the most satisfying aspects of our work at CRANIUM is the unique opportunity to simultaneously work on strengthening our clients’ businesses, while contributing to the protection of fundamental rights that underpin our society. These two elements are not always easy to combine in a field of work, but that’s precisely what makes our work so interesting and gives much satisfaction. This dual mission forms the core of our approach, not only in how we carry out our projects, but also in how we guide and develop our own team. Moreover, our approach aims not only to grow CRANIUM, but also to contribute to the development of the entire sector.
On the other hand, we see that clients who engage in an in-depth process with CRANIUM achieve more than merely complying with legislation. They experience more efficient processes, derive more value from their data and see a reduction in risks associated with cyber attacks. All of this results in a more resilient and robust organisation.
That resilience and robustness are of course extremely important due to the many challenges within the industry. What do you think are the biggest challenges for companies in the field of data governance and compliance in the next 5 years?
I believe that we can divide our challenges into 3 parts:
People and skills: In the current landscape, we see a shift from a purely legal approach to a more integrated approach where technological knowledge is indispensable. We also see that our multidisciplinary approach has a positive effect on our clients. Training employees in these new skills will be a central challenge for companies in the coming years.
Technological developments: The emergence of advanced technologies such as AI has a significant influence, not only in sectors where we are very active, but also in more broadly applicable tools such as ChatGPT. It is essential that organisations understand these technological shifts and proactively integrate them into their governance and compliance strategies.
Legal developments: Europe is developing new regulations at an accelerated pace, such as the NIS directive and the recent Data Acts. These laws have a direct impact on many facets and it is crucial for companies to respond adequately to this. By identifying these developments and anticipating them, CRANIUM is ideally positioned to help clients with the challenges they will face in the coming years.
How is CRANIUM positioned to help clients and proactively address these challenges?
For us, it’s a top priority to ensure that our team is well-trained to address these challenges. While new legislation is in development, we are already laying the foundation for effective compliance and support. This includes appointing topic specialists and encouraging internal knowledge sharing. But our responsibility doesn’t stop at our own doors. Our clients can rely on us to actively share insights and expertise through various channels, to help them prepare for the changing compliance and governance landscape.
As a final question, what is your opinion on maintaining the balance between data-driven insights and ethically responsible handling of that data?
We motivate our clients to be data-driven and extract the necessary insights from data, but to do so in an ethically responsible manner. In the long term, this is also the only strategy that works. Focusing solely on ethics can lead to a stagnating organisation that doesn’t grow, while a lack of ethics and irresponsible use of data leads to an organisation that loses people and customers and sooner or later runs into enforcement by authorities.
This interview was part of the PrivCon 2023
