Boston Globe Highlights Soaring Growth of the IAPP

Ross Kerber, a reporter following the TJX data breach story for the The Boston Globe, recently interviewed IAPP Executive Director J. Trevor Hughes. The article focused on TJX's move to create a number of privacy roles to help it contend with privacy issues in the future.

"Giving officers privacy responsibility has become commonplace for banks, insurance companies, and other closely regulated firms. But retailers have gotten a relatively late start in the area, said J. Trevor Hughes, executive director of the International Association of Privacy Professionals in York, Maine, whose board includes the chief privacy officer of Wal-Mart Stores Inc., a job the retailer created last year," Kerber wrote.

"Overall membership in the group has soared to 4,500 people from 300 six years ago, with retailers being a big driver lately, Hughes said, "especially as TJX and its competitors rush to comply with new industry standards like rules on how to protect credit card data. 'I'm not sure it's fair to say they're late to the game, but there's been significant growth at retailers, and we'll see that continue,' he said."

Eli Lilly's Privacy Program Recognized by Fast Company

The February issue of Fast Company ran a profile of Stanley Crosley, chief privacy officer for pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly, which included the IAPP's recognition of Lilly's privacy program.

"Stanley Crosley, 45, installed an aggressive new system at Eli Lilly after the company suffered a privacy breach in 2001," Fast Company wrote. "Last year, the International Association of Privacy Professionals recognized Lilly's plan as one of the best."

Eli Lilly was the winner the 2007 HP-IAPP Privacy Innovation Award in the Large Organization Category.

Data Privacy Day Draws Mention

The IAPP's cooperative efforts with Duke University to draw attention to identity theft prevention through the observation of Privacy Day on January 28 prompted a declaration from North Carolina Governor Michael F. Easley, and also got a mention at IBLS Internet Law news portal.