James Leaton Gray
James is a leading expert in the policy debates in data protection, he is regularly invited to address conferences in the UK and internationally. He specialises Data Protection Officer services and believes in making compliance part of business operations, not a legal tick box exercise.
He is also an Director in the Deloitte UK Privacy team and a Director at Deloitte Legal. At Deloitte he works directly on client delivery as well as contributing to the thought development in the area.
For over 10 years James lead the BBC’s Information Policy and Compliance Department, in the BBC’s Legal section. There he oversaw the operation of the Corporation’s systems for compliance with the Data Protection and Freedom of Information Acts. Before he left the BBC he led the development thinking around privacy and data governance for a future digital BBC, as it developed its big data capability. Additionally he provided expert advice on media and privacy and lobbying on the proposed EU GDPR.
James worked in broadcasting, mainly for the BBC, for over 30 years. Before joining the Legal Division he was a programme maker and spent much of his time in political journalism. He edited many of the BBC’s Political and Parliamentary programmes.
He has an MBA specialising in strategy. He is a member of: the International Association of Privacy Professionals (former European Advisor Board); the Strategic Planning Society (former Chairman); the Radio Academy (former Trustee); BAFTA. He is on the editorial board of Data Protection Law & Policy.
