Former ACCC chair, Graeme Samuel, will head the newly formed Data Governance Australia board
A new Australian data governance industry association tasked with setting benchmarks for the collection, use and management of data has attracted employees of some of the country’s biggest companies.
The not-for-profit Data Governance Australia (DGA) boasts membership from senior leaders of industry including former Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) chairman, Graeme Samuel, who will assume the position of chairman of the board.
The industry body has appointed twelve other founding board members including executives from Westpac, National Australia Bank (NAB), Woolworths, Qantas, IAG and Scentre Group which owns and operates Westfield shopping centres in A/NZ.
DGA will establish best practice industry standards and benchmarks around the collection, use and management of data in Australia and provide education, thought leadership and advocacy services to members to promote and foster understanding of how data can be used responsibly.
Samuel said advances in data technology and capabilities have transformed the way Australian businesses use, store and manage data over the last decade.
“Used effectively and managed responsibly, data can drive innovation, revenue growth and customer experience,” he added.
“However, in a world of almost infinite data storage and use, it is incumbent upon all sectors of industry to ensure that stringent self-regulation and best-practice is applied to retain consumer confidence and avoid heavy-handed federal regulation.”
The board also consists of executives from data analytics company, Quantium; messaging app company, Signal; credit reporting company, Veda; data exchange organisation, Data Republic; and FlyBuys.
DGA will operate alongside sister associations the Association for Data-Driven Marketing and Advertising (ADMA), Australian digital industry association, AIMIA and the Institute of Analytics Professionals Australia (IAPA), which operate as separate associations.
