Both the DMA and Information Commissioner Christopher Graham have welcomed the Department for Culture, Media & Sport Committee decision to rubber-stamp the appointment of Elizabeth Denham as the next UK Information Commissioner.
She was announced as the preferred candidate in March and the move follows the pre-appointment hearing, during which there was a potential veto the committee has available to them.
However, with the committee’s approval, the appointment can now be confirmed subject to final approval from the Queen.
Currently the Information & Privacy Commissioner in British Columbia, Canada, Denham is only the second woman to ever have held the role, Elizabeth France was commissioner betwen 1994 and 2002.
She will succeed Graham in the summer on a five-year term and a salary of £140,000.
DMA Group chief executive Chris Combemale said: “The approval of Elizabeth Denham as the new UK Information Commissioner should be welcomed by the whole marketing sector. During her pre-appointment hearing yesterday she discussed her proactive approach to enforcing the laws around data protection and her views on a range of other topics.
“We look forward to working together to build a new framework for the industry that fits with GDPR, Privacy Shield and the expectations of consumers, allowing them to do more than just be compliant but also put their customers at the heart of what they do.”
Graham added: “I am delighted that Elizabeth is set to take over as the next Information Commissioner. She is an experienced information rights practitioner, essential when the ICO is busier than ever and facing the challenges of the digital age.”
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