Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - June 12, 2024) - PICCASO Awards Canada: Celebrating excellence in Data, Privacy, and Information Security. On Tuesday, June 11, 2024, the inaugural PICCASO Awards Canada gala event united data, privacy and information security professionals, innovators, and experts across all sectors to recognize the achievements of information champions in Canada. This landmark event is the first ever in North America to focus exclusively on recognizing the achievements of privacy professionals, making it a historic and celebratory occasion for the industry.

Bringing the PICCASO Awards to Canada further amplifies the nation's pivotal role in shaping global conversations around data, privacy and information security. With its robust legal framework, groundbreaking technology sector, innovative thought leaders and privacy by design framework, Canada has emerged as a beacon of best practices in this digital age.

The awards aim to commend trailblazers in the data, privacy and information security community in Canada for their exemplary dedication and achievements in ensuring data remains safe and secure. Furthermore, the awards aim to support and celebrate rising talent in this field, inspiring them to strive for excellence and innovation in their careers. This dual focus of celebrating seasoned champions and nurturing the next generation of talent emphasizes the commitment of the awards to advancing the field of data, privacy and information security in Canada.

The gala event, produced by PICCASO Canada and supported by the PICCASO Canada Advisory Board, featured TELUS as the Founding Sponsor, with PwC Canada and AccessPrivacy by Osler as Platinum Sponsors. The evening commenced with insightful remarks from Vivienne Artz OBE, Vice Chair & Awards Founder, and Lauren Reid, co-chair of PICCASO Canada. The night was truly elevated by the keynote speaker, Canada's Privacy Commissioner Philippe Dufresne. The event was masterfully hosted by the talented Lisa Bragg.

PICCASO Awards Canada congratulates the winners, as presented below:

Best Privacy Program Award

  • Alberta Health Services

Privacy Team of the Year

  • Privacy Community of Practice - Association of Native Child and Family Services Agencies of Ontario
  • Privacy & Cybersecurity Practice Group - Fasken

Rising Star

  • Chelsea Cannon, Association of Native Child and Family Services Agencies of Ontario

Privacy Innovation Award

  • Private AI

Most Impactful Privacy Product or Service

  • Interactive Advertising Bureau of Canada

Data Partnership Award - Sponsored by Symcor

  • Geotab Inc.

Indigenous Leadership - Sponsored by TELUS

  • First Nations Information Governance Centre

Privacy Leader Academia / Thought Leader - Sponsored by AccessPrivacy by Osler

  • Teresa Scassa, University of Ottawa

Health Privacy Leadership

  • Marc Fiume, DNAstack

Not for Profit Leadership

  • Digital Advertising Alliance of Canada

Public Sector Leadership

  • Sandra Fletcher, iGaming Ontario

Outstanding Privacy Lawyer

  • Migan Megardichian, TELUS

Outstanding Privacy Engineer - Sponsored by Good Research and AppCensus

  • Alex Latulipe Loiselle, TELUS Data & Trust Office

Outstanding Privacy Officer - Sponsored by The DPO Centre

  • Aggie Zander, Scotiabank

Privacy Award for Achievement - Sponsored by PwC Canada

  • Dr. Ann Cavoukian

In its inaugural year, PICCASO Awards Canada received an enthusiastic response with an enormous number of award nominations from across the breadth and diversity of Canadian organizations, large and small. The award recipients were independently selected by expert and esteemed judges in Canada. PICCASO Awards Canada would like to thank the Judges for their time, dedication, and contribution in making the annual awards possible. For more on the judges: https://piccasoawards.ca/judges.

Vivienne Artz, Vice Chair & Awards Founder: "Congratulations to all the winners, both individuals and organizations alike, for their remarkable contributions to data, privacy and information security. Your incredible achievements and innovation stand as a beacon of inspiration and motivation for both seasoned professionals and rising talent in protecting and trusted use of data."

Lauren Reid, Canada Co-Chair, CEO of The Privacy Pro: "The PICCASO Awards coming to Canada symbolizes the nation's unwavering commitment to championing privacy rights and data protection on a global scale. In an era where data and privacy are of utmost importance, these awards serve as a testament to Canada's leadership in fostering innovation, transparency and accountability in the field of data and information security. I would like to congratulate all the winners for their outstanding work and setting the highest standards in attaining privacy distinction."

For more information about the PICCASO Awards Canada, please visit HERE.

About PICCASO Canada:

PICCASO Canada, a non-profit organization based in Toronto, Ontario, is a collaboration between PICCASO, a UK based global-facing not-for-profit special interest group, led by seasoned volunteers who are senior leaders in privacy, data and information security and The Privacy Pro, a boutique consulting firm in Toronto. The primary aim of PICCASO Canada is to develop and organize thought leadership and events that promote privacy, data protection and information security in Canada.

For more information or to request an interview, contact:

Shweta Retharekar
Marketing & Special Projects Manager, T•O Corporate Services (T•OCS)
2 St. Clair Ave. W. 18th FL., Toronto, ON, M4V 1L5
Email: info@piccaso.ca

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/212679