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Kristin Benedikt
Judge, Administrative Court, Regensburg, Bavaria
Kristin Benedikt began her career as Head of Department Internet, Telemedia and Geo Data at the Bavarian Data Protection Authority. As a specialist in the field of Websites, Apps, IoT, she is a speaker and author of numerous articles on GDPR and ePrivacy. Since 2020, she has been working as a judge at the Administrative Court in Regensburg.
Kristin Benedikt studied law at the University Bayreuth. During her legal training in Nuremberg and Milan, she worked as a research associate at an international law firm. Alongside her le-gal education, she became a business mediator.
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Dan Cooper
Partner & Co-Chair of Data Privacy Practice, Covington & Burling, Brussels
Daniel Cooper advises clients on information technology regulatory issues, particularly data protection, e-commerce and data security matters.
According to the latest edition of Chambers UK (2018), his "level of expertise is second to none, but it's also equally paired with a keen understanding of our business and direction." In 2017, it was noted that "he is very good at calibrating and helping to gauge risk."
Mr. Cooper also regularly assists leading technology companies, including social networking sites, online content and entertainment providers, and e-shopping sites, on their European and global compliance strategies. He also has deep experience with the regulation of mobile and e-health technologies. Mr. Cooper is also known for his ability to guide clients through the issues arising from data breach incidents, and has advised a number of high-profile clients in this area. Mr. Cooper co-authored the data protection standard that governs organized sport.
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Alexander Filip
Head of Department, Bavarian State Office for Data Protection Supervision
Alexander Filip (born in 1972) has studied law at the University of Erlangen (Germany) and graduated as a lawyer. Between 2002 and 2006 he worked as a lawyer in different functions in the public administration of the state of Bavaria/Germany. Between 2006 and 2009 he acted as a professional assistant for a parliamentary group of the Federal Parliament (Bundestag), where he was e.g. concerned with data protection legislation, amongst others. Since 2009 he has been working as head of department at the Bavarian Data Protection Authority for the Private Sector (Bayerisches Landesamt für Datenschutzaufsicht), responsible for “International Transfers”, among others. He has been acting, as of 2011, as a representative of the German data protection authorities in the Subgroup in charge with international data transfers of the Article 29 Working Party and, respectively, of the European Data Protection Board. He is the author of a number of professional articles and other releases on data protection law, in particular focusing on issues of transfers of personal data from the EU to third countries, e.g. in one of the major German legal commentaries on the GDPR (Beck’scher Online Commentary on Data Protection Law), among others. He has also been working as a lecturer at private academies for the education of data protection officers (DPOs) in Germany, and is a regular participant at conferences on data protection.
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Dirk Hensel
Head of Communications & Executive Office, Federal Commissioner for Data Protection
After finishing Law School in 2008 and a short time with the Bundeskriminalamt (Federal Criminal Police) Dirk Hensel joined the Federal Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information. Here he worked in different units before becoming the BfDI’s press secretary and spokesperson and in 2019 Head of Communications and the Executive Office.
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Katja Horlbeck
Data Protection Officer, The Office of the Hessian Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information
Ms. Horlbeck is responsible for enquiries and complaints which deal with employee data protection issues at the Hessian Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information.
In addition, Ms. Horlbeck is the Data Protection Officer of the supervisory authority.
Previously she worked as a lawyer in the area of data protection and labor law.
She is a Certified Information Privacy Professional Europe (CIPP/E) and a Certified Information Privacy Manager (CIPM).
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Michael Kaiser
Head of Department, The Hessian Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information
Michael Kaiser began his career in 1993 practicing Civil Law, working in several private enterprises, in particular with Banks and IT-Companies, where he developed 18 years' experience as an in-house counsel.
After 18 years as in-house counsel he moved into data protection and compliance.
He has been with the regulatory authority for the last 8 years and Head of Department since 2012.
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Dr. Lars Lensdorf
Partner, Covington & Burling, Frankfurt
Lars Lensdorf is a partner in the Frankfurt office. He focuses on IT law, outsourcing, digitalization/ industry 4.0, IT related bank regulatory matters and data protection. Dr. Lensdorf's practice covers all types of IT and outsourcing agreements, all matters of digitalization and industry 4.0, including online procurement platforms, IT-compliance matters (including cybersecurity) as well as data protection. Furthermore, he is also focused on interfaces to other practice areas to the extent that IT related matters are affected, e. g. regulatory requirements for banking and financial services as well as public procurement law. A significant part of Dr. Lensdorf’s practice is currently advice in connection with the implementation of the GDPR (data protection) in Europe.
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David Schweizer
Deputy Head, Fining Division, LfDI Baden-Württemberg
David Schweizer is deputy head of the fining division of Baden-Württemberg‘s DPA. Before joining the DPA in this role in 2018 he worked as a lawyer for seven years where he focused on litigation as well as data protection law. He graduated from University of Heidelberg and earned his LL.M. from University College London.
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Steffen Weiß
Member of the Board for International Affairs, German Association for Data Protection and Data Security
Steffen is member of the GDD board for international affairs and legal counsel for data protection and data security. He represents the GDD at the Confederation of European Data Protection Organisations (CEDPO) which is, inter alia, a member of the Multistakeholder Expert Group of the European Commission advising on questions regarding the application of the GDPR.
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Stewart Dresner
Chief Executive, Privacy Laws & Business
Stewart graduated from the University of Lancaster in Politics and Marketing. In 1975 Stewart pioneered a research project on Open Government at the UK Consumers’ Association. He then visited the USA and Canada, meeting consumer advocates, politicians and journalists researching the emerging Freedom of Information and privacy legislation. His subsequent publication was financed by the Outer Circle Policy Unit, titled Open Government: Lessons from America, and a new career was born. Consumer research and working for The Economist as a business journalist honed his skills as an investigator and writer.
He launched the Privacy Laws & Business Newsletter in February 1987. In October 1988 he organised PL&B’s first international conference. Stewart co-founded and chaired the UK’s Data Protection Forum, and has spoken at conferences around the world. He lives and works in Pinner, has a beautiful wife, who wrote this, and 3 adult sons.