How to Choose the Right GDPR Rep – A Guide for US Businesses

You understand the ‘what’ and ‘why’ of the EU GDPR. But how do you go about choosing the right GDPR rep for your business? Find out as our GDPR team explains.

You know all about the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). You know its impact on your business. You know how it shapes the way you collect, process and store the data of your customers in the EU. You know that, to ensure your organization remains compliant with EU law, you need a GDPR representative on the ground within the EU to act as a conduit between its citizens, regulators and you (and if you don’t, read more about the importance of a GDPR consultant to US businesses). You know all of that.

But how do you go about choosing the right EU GDPR representative?

The importance of selecting the right EU GDPR consultant

Before we get to the how, let’s quickly explore the why. Not so long ago, very few US businesses had any real awareness of their responsibilities towards the data of EU citizens. That’s changing, but there’s still a tendency for some companies to see GDPR as a distant thing. It’s a regulation that’s not set by the state. Nor is it set by the federal government. Because it’s a law that applies a long way away, it’s tempting just to ‘tick the box’ of compliance.

The truth is, you can’t do that, and for several reasons:

• Legal compliance: Appointing an EU GDPR rep isn’t optional. There are potentially significant penalties and fines for not doing it, just as there are significant fines for getting the processes of data privacy wrong. Your EU GDPR consultant can have a big impact on the success of your European trading, so it pays to get your choice of rep right.

• Your person on the ground: The whole point of a GDPR EU representative is that they represent you when you don’t have a presence in the region. They are the EU’s point of contact. They are your advisor on what’s coming down the track. They are interpreter, liaison and bridge builder with local authorities. In short, they’re an important part of your team and you don’t choose important members of your team by ticking boxes.

• Trusted expertise: A GDPR representative is someone you rely on to be able to answer the difficult data privacy questions. It’s important you feel able to rely on the answers you receive, and that means taking the time to choose a GDPR expert you can trust.

How to choose your European representative for GDPR

Choosing your EU GDPR consultant is an important step. So how do you make sure you get it right?

• US expertise: There’s lots of GDPR expertise out there. But US businesses need more than experts who know the rules. They need people who understand what those rules mean in a US context. Choose an EU GDPR rep who specializes in assisting US companies and can provide insights and strategies through a US lens.

• Customized solutions: If it’s important to choose an EU GDPR representative who can offer expertise with a specifically American flavor, it’s equally important to ensure they can tailor their support to the needs of your business.

• Data privacy isn’t easy. Laws are complex. It’s not always easy to see how to make the regulations fit with the way you work. When choosing your GDPR EU representative, therefore, look for someone who’s not simply an expert in the law, but has the clear ability to apply it to the way you operate.

• Proactive compliance support: There’s more than one way for GDPR services to prove their worth. There’s the obvious and invaluable support that can help you face scrutiny from an EU regulator in a measured, ordered way. But there’s also the sort of support that looks ahead, that sees what changes are coming, and that helps you respond to and get ready for those changes. Choose an EU representative able to help you across the full breadth of GDPR compliance.

• Reliable representation: When an EU customer or EU regulators need to contact you about a data privacy issue, they will do it via your EU GDPR consultant. When choosing your representative for GDPR matters, therefore, it’s important that they reflect your values, that they share your commitment to service, and that they are a reliable point of contact.

Appoint your GDPR EU representative

Appointing the right GDPR rep matters but choosing the right person to be part of your team doesn’t have to be complicated.  Find the right EU GDPR consultant for you now, get data protection advice or, for questions about your next steps, call +1 303 317 5998.