By Rory Bathgate
Privacy platform DataGrail has hired Cathy Polinksy as its new chief technology officer (CTO).
Polinsky is the former vice president of engineering at Shopify, and before that spent four years as the CTO at Stitch Fix. She also has ample experience from work throughout the industry for companies such as Salesforce, Yahoo, Amazon, and Oracle.
Her experience with systems that support both consumer customisation and robust privacy protection were touted by the company as making her an excellent fit for the role.
“I have been fortunate to be part of companies that are good stewards of data, but as more and more SaaS apps are adopted, the privacy issues become more complex,” said Polinsky in a statement.
“Even companies with the very best intentions and practices may struggle with people’s inherent right to data privacy. DataGrail helps manage an intricate and expansive ecosystem of data with a solution that every company needs.”
DataGrail specialises in data subject requests (DSR), in which a subject contacts a data controller with a request to modify personal data held by a third party. These are linked closely with subject access requests (SAR). DataGrail helps brands stay compliant with data regulations through their platform, as well as manage their data efficiently.
Just last month, DataGrail updated its DSR automation to better serve internal data systems, giving customers the ability to more easily delete, access or anonymise data. The new API provides more control over internal systems, extending its reach to custom databases, as well as applications.
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In a Twitter thread, Polinsky also stressed the importance of protecting data privacy in line with the role.
“Data privacy is a fundamental human right that doesn’t have to be incompatible with providing highly personalised technology and experiences. I’m excited to focus on this important problem with the DataGrail team.”
Also joining the company is Sam East, the former Sendoso chief revenue officer who will now fulfil the same role at DataGrail.
“We couldn’t be more thrilled that Cathy and Sam have joined our team,” remarked Daniel Barber, founder and CEO of DataGrail.
“They are gifted professionals who share our belief that data privacy is a human right. Together, we can transform data privacy in ways that benefit both businesses and consumers.”
