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Balancing Data Governance alongside the needs of the Data Protection Officer - Garry Manser
As organisations become increasingly data-driven, two roles have emerged as central to responsible data management: Data Governance and the Data Protection Officer (DPO). While these functions are sometimes perceived as overlapping—or even competing—in reality, they are deeply interconnected. When properly aligned, they reinforce one another, enabling organisations to unlock the value of data while maintaining trust, compliance, and ethical integrity.
This article explores how the roles of Data Governance and the DPO are linked, where tensions can arise, and how organisations can balance them effectively.
Garry is currently the Head of Data Governance at Vanquis Banking Group and is accountable for the design, development, and implementation of the Group’s Data Governance Framework, specifically enabling Data Owners and Data Stewards to understand their data more, whilst the Group embarks on a significant Data Transformation programme.
Garry has been working in Data Governance for 15 years, both in Consultancy for EY and PWC, and in a number of financial institutions such as Barclays and Visa. Through that he has had a number of adventures and could write a book on the bad mistakes made and lessons learned.
