About Us

Matthew has led the privacy, data protection, and cybersecurity team at VeraSafe for the past 13 years. He advises clients across the globe on data protection strategy, compliance, and risk management. Matthew is American and resides in Prague, Czech Republic. He holds the CIPP/E, CIPP/US, and CIPM certifications from the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP) and has been awarded the Fellow of Information Privacy (FIP) distinction.

Jim is an experienced privacy attorney and data protection officer (DPO) specializing in European data protection. A Massachusetts attorney with over 16 years of experience practicing law, Jim works with clients across a variety of industries, including the SaaS vertical. He serves as DPO for numerous organizations operating in the EU, including clinical trial sponsors. He holds the CIPP/E and CIPM certifications from the IAPP and has been awarded the FIP distinction.

Kellie is an experienced defense attorney admitted to the U.S. state bar in Massachusetts. Before joining VeraSafe, Kellie was a counsel at the prestigious international law firm WilmerHale in Boston, where she defended financial and technology corporations under investigation by the U.S. government. In her almost eight years at the firm, she litigated patents, civil rights, and issues related to securities and foreign exchange trading. Kellie works on a variety of compliance projects for VeraSafe clients.

Jim is an experienced corporate attorney admitted to the New York and District of Columbia bars. Prior to joining VeraSafe, he worked in the banking and credit department of an international law firm headquartered in New York before going in-house at a private investment fund in the Washington, DC area. He heads VeraSafe’s internal legal department, providing legal counsel and leading a team that advises on, among other areas, contracts and other commercial transactions, corporate governance, employment and labor relations, intellectual property, and litigation management. In addition to his duties as general counsel, Jim is also a partner in VeraSafe’s affiliated law firm, head of the company’s CSIRT function, and a member of VeraSafe’s Senior Leadership Team.

Melissa is an experienced business operations leader who excels in sales enablement and transformational leadership, having refined her skills during a distinguished 20-year tenure at Accenture. She has led and coached administrative and sales teams and is passionate about developing strategies that enhance process efficiency and support business growth. Additionally, Melissa is dedicated to creating programs that drive engagement, development, inclusion, and diversity. Her passion for operational excellence aligns with VeraSafe’s mission to provide top-tier privacy law services to our clients.

Isabel has spent her career entirely focused on data privacy laws and EU law. Before joining VeraSafe, Isabel was an associate data protection consultant at Bird&Bird in Brussels, where she advised Japanese multinationals on GDPR compliance. Isabel took a sabbatical from VeraSafe to serve as a legal trainee at the European Data Protection Board (EDPB), the body that unites all data protection authorities enforcing the GDPR. She has assisted clients in many sectors, including technology service providers, ad-tech, automotive, and financial services, in dealing with data protection authorities. Additionally, Isabel is fluent in both English and Spanish, and is proficient in French.

Ryan is a corporate attorney in VeraSafe’s Internal Legal Department and provides legal advice and support across all aspects of the group’s operations. Prior to joining VeraSafe, Ryan worked at Baker McKenzie, a leading international law firm, where he advised and represented high-profile clients across a variety of industries in complex, multi-jurisdictional matters. Ryan holds BCom, Economics Honours, LLB, and LLM degrees and is currently pursuing an MA at King’s College London.

A certified project manager and information systems auditor, Paola has deep experience in both project management and enterprise risk consulting. In the eight years prior to joining VeraSafe, Paola was an enterprise risk services senior consultant at Deloitte. She holds a PMP certification from the Project Management Institute and CISA and CISM certifications from the Information Systems Audit and Control Association. Paola implements and executes VeraSafe’s in-house practice management methodology for a variety of VeraSafe clients and is fluent in both English and Spanish. Paola is based in Maryland, USA.

Renata is a Bulgarian (EU) attorney, privacy professional, and mediator holding degrees from U.S. and EU universities. Before joining VeraSafe, Renata was an associate at a civil litigation law firm in California. She has extensive knowledge of both U.S. and EU laws and a passion for technology. Renata holds the CIPP/E and CIPP/US certifications from the IAPP and is certified in GCP for Clinical Trials with Investigational Drugs and Biologics, which gives her unique insight into the responsibilities and expectations for the conduct, monitoring, reporting, and documenting of clinical trials. Renata leads compliance projects for a variety of VeraSafe clients, including SaaS providers and biotech companies.

Karl is an experienced corporate attorney admitted to the High Court of South Africa. Karl began his legal career at Bowmans, a leading African law firm, practicing shipping and commercial litigation. He then joined Aspen Pharmacare, a large multinational pharmaceutical company, in 2017, as an in-house legal advisor. Since joining VeraSafe, Karl is fully dedicated to compliance projects for a variety of VeraSafe clients, especially SaaS providers, as well as clients in telecom and life sciences.

Danie has been in legal practice for more than 17 years. He graduated from the University of Pretoria and commenced his career at Deneys Reitz (now Norton Rose Fulbright) before moving to Adams & Adams, a leading African law firm. Danie initially focused on advising clients regarding intellectual property commercialization, but his area of specialization shifted and increasingly centered on regulatory matters, particularly privacy and data protection. He led numerous client projects concerning the Protection of Personal Information Act (South Africa’s data protection law) and had the opportunity to advise clients ranging from technology start-ups to well-known multinationals in this regard. He also gained broader experience in data protection law, including the General Data Protection Regulation. In 2016, the University of Pretoria conferred a Doctor of Laws (LLD) degree on Danie for which his research and thesis focused on the regulation of promotional competitions in South Africa. Danie is a South African admitted attorney (non-practicing) and holds CIPP/E and CIPP/US certifications from the Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP), of which he is a member.

Max is an experienced business professional who leads VeraSafe’s quality department to ensure that VeraSafe provides the highest level of service and deliverables to clients. Before leading the quality department, Max was a Privacy Counsel at VeraSafe, giving him unique insight into the client experience. Max holds both a JD and an MBA from the University of Minnesota and CIPP/US, CIPP/E, and CIPM certifications from the IAPP. Throughout his career, Max has practiced privacy, intellectual property, and business law, including transactional and litigation matters. This diverse experience has given Max the skills needed to critically examine and optimize business processes from various stakeholder perspectives.

Gabriel has over twenty years of financial reporting and analysis experience. Prior to joining VeraSafe, he worked in various senior leadership roles. He earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Utah, and his MBA from the Kenan-Flagler Business School at UNC-Chapel Hill. Gabriel holds a CPA license from the state of Virginia and resides in North Carolina.

Zia is a South African attorney with over eight years of experience specializing in privacy and commercial law. She practiced in the fields of healthcare regulation and commercial law at ENSafrica for several years before joining the Operations and Mergers and Acquisitions Legal Team at a multinational pharmaceutical company. Zia holds the CIPP/E, CIPP/US, and CIPM certifications from the IAPP and currently leads compliance projects for a variety of VeraSafe clients, including SaaS providers, professional services firms, and biotech companies. She is also certified in GCP for Clinical Trials with Investigational Drugs and Biologics, which gives her unique insight into the responsibilities and expectations for the conduct, monitoring, reporting, and documenting of clinical trials.

Ishara has had an international legal career, with experience at organizations in the Netherlands, Germany, and South Africa. She started her legal career at United Nations organizations, including the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in the Hague, where she was part of the Judges’ drafting team for the Karadžić war crimes trial, and the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea in Hamburg. Prior to joining VeraSafe, she specialized in corporate and commercial law at law firms including Eversheds Sutherland, and she was previously seconded as a legal advisor to a multinational pharmaceutical company. Ishara holds the CIPP/E and CIPM certifications from the IAPP and has also been awarded the Fellow of Information Privacy (FIP) distinction. She services VeraSafe clients from a wide range of industries, including the life sciences, SaaS, telecommunications, gaming, and manufacturing industries. Ishara is an admitted attorney in South Africa and currently resides in Durban.

Chris is an information technology professional with experience in DevOps, programming, and systems administration. His passion for solving complex problems in technology led him to his current role as system administrator with a focus on development operations. Drawing from a rich background in project planning, software development, and marketing, Chris excels in problem-solving and crafting innovative solutions. Chris is a passionate advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. Chris volunteers his time to support LGBTQIA initiatives based in his home of Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

Reha has over 13 years of experience in internal audit departments with major banks. While he gained experience auditing a wide range of banking activities, his primary focus soon became IT auditing. Reha has served in senior auditor, IT audit supervisor, IT audit manager, and audit director roles. Throughout his career, he conducted internet banking fraud examinations, which led to his focus on cybersecurity and penetration testing. Reha has been with the VeraSafe team since 2017.

Alex is an HR professional who specializes in recruiting and talent acquisition. Holding a Master’s degree in Psychology of Human Resources, he is on the verge of completing his PhD focused on mental health in the workplace. His strong understanding of human potential helps him identify exemplary candidates, and his personable nature and people-centric approach secure and transition those candidates into valuable team members. Currently residing in Valencia, Spain, Alex’s passion extends beyond the office; he enjoys traveling around the world and volunteering his time towards mental health causes.

Michelle is a project manager based in South Africa. She has extensive experience as a senior paralegal, both in practice (specializing in the field of forensics) and in-house at a global pharmaceutical company. Before joining VeraSafe, Michelle was responsible for managing multi-national projects for an in-house legal team focusing on group operations and mergers and acquisitions. She holds a paralegal diploma from the Paralegal Institute of South Africa.

Anastasia is a Greek (EU) lawyer and privacy professional with over six years of experience specializing in data protection law. Before joining VeraSafe, Anastasia served as the deputy Data Protection Officer of Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking, a public-private partnership of the EU Commission. Prior to that, she worked at the European Data Protection Supervisor, the supervisory authority that monitors and ensures the protection of personal data and privacy within EU institutions and bodies. Anastasia has also served as privacy counsel and as a Data Protection Officer to clients in the healthcare, hospitality, and insurance sectors. Anastasia is fluent in English and Greek.

Farrhah is an admitted attorney of the High Court of South Africa. Before joining the VeraSafe team, she practiced at one of Africa’s leading full-service commercial law firms, Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr, where she acquired experience in several fields of the law, including technology, media, and telecommunications law, as well as litigious areas of the law such as insurance law, administrative law, and human rights law. Thereafter, she obtained experience in the public sector as a legal researcher for the Deputy Chief Justice of South Africa. She then worked as an in-house legal advisor for a multinational pharmaceutical company. In addition to being heavily involved in vendor management at VeraSafe, Farrhah advises clients on international data protection compliance matters across numerous industries, including the life sciences, telecommunications, and hospitality sectors. Farrah is certified in GCP for Clinical Trials with Investigational Drugs and Biologics, which gives her unique insight into the responsibilities and expectations for the conduct, monitoring, reporting, and documenting of clinical trials.

Isaac is a project manager with over a decade of experience providing administrative and logistical support in the legal services industry. Prior to joining VeraSafe, Isaac was a senior executive assistant at the Washington, D.C. office of a premier global corporate law firm, Sullivan & Cromwell LLP, where he managed projects on behalf of partners specializing in a multitude of practice areas including international trade, intellectual property, banking regulation, employment law, and tax controversy.

Jason is an experienced Massachusetts-licensed attorney specializing in privacy and data protection. Based in Boston, he has been practicing law for over seven years. In addition to privacy and data protection, Jason has worked with high-tech companies on intellectual property and litigation matters. He holds the CIPP/E, CIPP/US, and CIPM certifications from the IAPP.

Gina is an HR professional that specializes in talent acquisition, employee relations, and organizational development. She began her career as a teacher and intervention specialist before transitioning into human resources. Harnessing her skills from the classroom, Gina has an innate ability to understand diverse perspectives, navigate complex interpersonal dynamics, and cultivate environments conducive to growth and collaboration. Currently based in the Czech Republic, Gina’s dynamic background and enthusiastic personality make her an integral part of the VeraSafe team.

Lauren serves as privacy advisor for VeraSafe, steering clients in several industries toward privacy compliance, from telecommunications to EdTech, SaaS, nonprofit, and life sciences companies. Lauren spearheads VeraSafe’s professional development and outreach program, hosting monthly team trainings and external webinars. She has become VeraSafe’s “Chief of Fun,” and organizes teambuilding activities such a Happy Hours and community celebrations. Holding CIPP/E/US, CIPM, and FIP certifications, among others, Lauren maintains an active affiliation with the IAPP serving as a Co-Chair for the Nashville, Tennessee KnowledgeNet chapter. Lauren is a volunteer within her community for several faith-based children’s programs, including being a mentor through Kids on the Rise, Sunday School teacher to young girls, and camp coordinator for a children’s camp she and her family founded.

Yasmeen is a South African qualified attorney with six years of experience practicing law at an international law firm. Yasmeen works as part of the VeraSafe project teams that advise clients in a variety of industries, including the life sciences sector, on a global range of data protection matters.

Matthew advises clients on the latest data protection and privacy developments and implementing practical solutions to address them. Prior to joining VeraSafe, he worked at law firms and companies in-house providing guidance on transactional matters. These matters included privacy and data protection, property, mineral, renewable energy, and health. Matthew holds the CIPP/US and CIPM certifications from the IAPP.

Lee is an experienced attorney specializing in privacy, data protection, and cybersecurity. She leverages her years of experience working in the technology, media, and telecommunications department of one of South Africa’s largest law firms, advising clients on their privacy and data protection obligations. Lee has worked with clients in a variety of industries and sectors, but her interests lie in the financial services and life sciences sector.

Jen is a versatile administrative professional with over 16 years of experience in strategic business process development and implementation. Throughout her career, she has led accounting and HR departments, developed and implemented efficiency measures in highly regulated environments, and delivered measurable improvements to business workflows. Jen holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration, a Project Management Professional (PMP) certification, and is a Notary Public. When not at work, Jen enjoys travel and film.

Malcolm is a seasoned chartered accountant from South Africa with 19 years of industry experience. His core competencies include financial reporting, systems, and technical accounting. Throughout his career, Malcolm has managed several financial projects, implementing practical solutions and efficient methodologies while collaborating cross-functionally. His keen eye for detail and collaborative nature have made him an invaluable member of the VeraSafe team.

Mariel has advised many clients in the start-up phase, from ed-tech to non-profits, and advised on topics including entity selection and business organization, international website privacy compliance, and scaling strategy for entry into international markets. She assists VeraSafe’s biotech and consumer analytics clients with compliance under regulations such as the GDPR, UK GDPR, CCPA, and HIPAA. Mariel currently resides in Knoxville, TN.

Nonhlanhla is a South African qualified attorney with over five years of experience. Prior to joining VeraSafe, she specialized in corporate and commercial law at a leading African law firm, Webber Wentzel. She practiced in the fields of telecommunications, financial services, energy, and private equity. At VeraSafe, Nonhlanhla works on a variety of privacy compliance projects for VeraSafe clients.

Tonja is a senior paralegal with over 30 years of experience applying corporate law, contract law, and regulatory knowledge to corporate processes. As part of VeraSafe’s Internal Legal Department, she provides legal support to in-house attorneys, contract support to sales operations, and handles the Internal Legal Department’s day-to-day operations. Tonja is dedicated to using her extensive legal and administrative background to benefit VeraSafe’s operations. She obtained her paralegal certificate from the American Bar Association in 1991 and is based in north Dallas, Texas.

Vicky is a South African qualified attorney with over three years of experience focused on privacy law and compliance. Prior to joining VeraSafe, Vicky practiced with the Privacy and Cybersecurity Team at Deloitte & Touche, where she assisted large, multinational clients with their privacy compliance programs. Vicky has also practiced commercial and employment law at Hogan Lovells. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Law and Bachelor of Laws (LLB) from North-West University in Potchefstroom, South Africa.

Prenisha is a skilled administrative professional boasting over 11 years of experience in client-facing roles, with an emphasis on operations, client relations, and project management. She’s successfully led and coached account management and project teams and excels at fostering a culture of transparency and collaborative engagement. Over the past six years, Prenisha has developed a keen ability to orchestrate and navigate multifaceted projects across hundreds of clients and geographic locations, consistently delivering exceptional results. Her ability to articulate complex project insights and facilitate informed decision-making have made her a valuable contributor to the VeraSafe team.

Commencing his career in IT at a distinguished South African pharmaceuticals manufacturer, Jason has amassed a wealth of experience across various facets of networking infrastructure, disaster recovery, laboratory infrastructure, manufacturing infrastructure, and server infrastructure. With a comprehensive industry tenure of 11 years, he has demonstrated expertise in IT design, adept project implementation, efficient project management, and meticulous domain-level maintenance.

Monique began her professional career as a freelance graphic designer, honing her creative skills before transitioning into the marketing sector. Her passion for technology and innovative design found a new direction in marketing, where she spent over a decade mastering the art of brand building, demand generation, and growth marketing. Her interpersonal skills, combined with a results-driven approach, have helped her successfully lead digital and in-house creative teams while driving broader organizational objectives. Her balanced experience in creative problem-solving and strategic marketing continues to be a valuable asset as she bridges the intricacies of privacy assurance with modern-day marketing.

Zelia is a qualified and registered professional accountant and tax practitioner based in South Africa, with over 14 years of experience in finance, accounting, and auditing across multiple industries. Throughout her career, she has led and managed multiple financial initiatives, nurtured teams, and played a pivotal role in departmental strategic planning. With her keen attention to detail and numerical prowess, Zelia ensures that she meets the high standards, professionalism, and efficacy expected within her profession and career.

Fitret is a dedicated advocate for data privacy, blending a background in politics and law. She holds degrees from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and certificates from Boston University and Shanghai University. She has a varied career that includes roles at the United Nations and work with various congressional races. Prior to working as a Project Manager at VeraSafe, she worked at the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), in national policy advocacy and legislative initiatives.

Kyoungsic is an experienced privacy attorney admitted to practice in both South Korea and the U.S. (Washington, D.C.). He holds a Juris Doctor and Bachelor of Laws from Sungkyunkwan University and a Master of Laws from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. His noteworthy career includes legal roles at the International Criminal Court and the National Human Rights Commission of Korea, as well as a tenure at Yulchon LLC, a leading law firm in South Korea, where he specialized in cross-border legal matters with a focus on data privacy and foreign investment. Proficient in English, Korean, and Japanese, Kyoungsic leads VeraSafe operations in the APAC region.

Thomas is a seasoned attorney based in Cape Town, specializing in e-commerce and data privacy. With eight years of experience, including impactful tenures at Baker McKenzie and as General Counsel with SaaS Mobiz, he now serves as Privacy Counsel for VeraSafe where he is committed to making data privacy compliance both practical and predictable. Thomas offers day-to-day guidance, clear project and proposal assistance, and comprehensive training to clients. His approachable style and depth of knowledge make him a valuable asset in translating complex compliance issues into accessible solutions.

Dhiraj is a finance professional based in South Africa with a wealth of experience in accounting, auditing, compliance, and financial management. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree in financial management and a Bachelor of Commerce honors degree in business management. Having previously worked in the agricultural, entrepreneurship, and manufacturing sectors, Dhiraj also has extensive experience in accounts receivable and accounts payable. His strong passion for finance and accounting is reflected in his professionalism and adherence to the highest ethical standards.