Data Protection Officer (DPO) is a new leadership role that is created with the enforcement of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
Data Protection Officer is responsible for supervising the implementation of the company’s data protection strategy, and making sure it is compliant with the GDPR and other applicable data protection laws.
The DPO is an expert on data protection law and practices and operates independently within the organization, but usually has either a Legal or Security background.
The GDPR requires appointing a DPO if the processing is carried out by a public authority or body, if the organization processes and monitors data subjects on a large scale, or if the core activities consist of the processing of special categories of data or personal data relating to criminal convictions and offenses.