Kate Colleary

Kate is Director of Pembroke Privacy, a leading data protection consultancy based in Dublin. She is also Chairwoman and founding member of Strand Advisory, a global data protection, privacy and cyber-security consulting practice. She is the Irish Country Leader for the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP), the world’s largest and most comprehensive global information privacy community. Kate is a Certified Data Protection Practitioner (CIPP/E), a Certified Information Privacy Management Professional (CIPM) and a recognised expert in Data Protection and Freedom of Information law. She previously led the Data Protection and Intellectual Property (IP) team of an international law firm.

She has been a qualified practicing lawyer since 1999 and is the Principal of Colleary & Co, a law firm specialising in data protection and IP. She gained an honours degree in law from Trinity College Dublin in 1995. She has also received a Diploma in Arbitration from University College Dublin, a Diploma in E-Commerce and a certificate in trademark law from the Incorporated Law Society. She is a consultant to the Incorporated Law Society of Ireland’s Data Protection courses, and she lectures on the King’s Inns Data Protection Certificate course. She was one of only three Irish lawyers nominated for a Women in Law Award by the UK’s Lawyer Magazine. Kate is regularly asked to speak on data protection issues and to comment in the media.

Kate Colleary has many years of experience providing data protection compliance services, advice and training across a broad range of sectors both public and private. These services include external DPO services, EU Representative Services, advisory services, gap assessments, DPIA and DSAR projects, and training. Kate’s experience and expertise in the practicalities of delivering data protection are invaluable to clients from a range of sectors including global technology, finance and telecoms companies, hospitals, government agencies and departments, local authorities and SMEs.

As Director of Pembroke Privacy, Kate leads a team of experienced data protection consultants working with clients both locally and around the globe. Kate’s team has developed processes to assist clients with their data protection compliance obligations so that Pembroke Privacy’s clients gain the benefit of significant data protection expertise delivered in a cost effective and efficient manner. She has developed products and tools, such as a gap assessments, maturity frameworks, compliance review processes and e-learning products to ensure that clients’ expectations in a rapidly changing technical environment are continually met.