5 Questions with Twilio’s first-ever Chief Privacy Officer Amy Holcroft

5 Questions with Twilio’s first-ever Chief Privacy Officer Amy Holcroft

Amy Holcroft is joining Twilio as our first-ever Chief Privacy Officer and will lead the team responsible for protecting the interests of Twilio’s more than 250,000 customers and enabling their compliance with information privacy laws.

Previously, Amy was at HP Company and Hewlett Packard Enterprise, where she was a privacy leader for 13 years. As HPE’s Chief Privacy Officer, she led an international team of attorneys and compliance professionals managing global privacy and information governance programs on a global scale. She brings deep expertise in navigating and implementing complex compliance initiatives to address privacy regulations in the ever-changing technology and service provider industries.

We asked her five questions to get to know her and see what she’s excited to build at Twilio.

Do you have a secret talent?

I am a keen gardener and have developed (what I think you can call!) a talent for growing shrub and climbing roses from a famous English rose breeder called David Austin. In return for pruning, feeding and protecting them from black spot, I am rewarded with the most beautiful scented blooms each summer that can last into September.

What book are you reading right now?

I am reading Bees at the Bottom of the Garden by Alan Campion in readiness for delivery of my first colony of honey bees. It is a brilliant guide on how to get started and make sure your bees thrive, which I am sure I will be re-reading frequently! I am fascinated and in awe of the precision organization of bees and effectiveness as a community and looking forward to the additional benefits of honey and the pollination of my roses.

Do you have a favorite charity you wish more people knew about?

I am a trustee of two charities, Sir Halley Stewart Trust and Educating Kids Outdoors, neither of which are particularly well known but both of which make a huge impact on people's lives.

The Sir Halley Stewart Trust is a grant-giving foundation that supports innovative and pioneering work to enable human flourishing and prevent suffering. The Trust can count amongst its achievements supporting the founder of the UK hospice movement, Cicely Saunders, and cutting edge neo-natal and tropical disease research.

Educating Kids Outdoors is run by a dear friend of mine, Natasha Branston, and is all about getting children outside to learn about the natural world and build independence and confidence. I recently saw first hand what an impact they have. A group of inner-city school children came for a day in the woods to learn about plants and insects and build survival skills,including how to filter water, light a fire and build a cooking tripod. Some of the children arrived looking anxious and unsure about the whole experience but by the end everyone was running around with huge smiles on their faces.

What excites you about your role being Twilio’s first-ever Chief Privacy Officer?

Privacy is a top priority for Twilio and its customers, and it plays a critical role underpinning the company’s vision to be the leading customer engagement platform. It is our responsibility to protect the data not only of the businesses we serve, but of their customers as well, as their engagements and relationships continue to move into the digital realm. I am excited to have the opportunity to strengthen Twilio’s commitment to data privacy and continue to build its reputation as a trusted custodian of customer data.

Which Twilio Magic value or principle resonates most with you?

I think theTwilio Magic is a great cultural blueprint and one of the reasons why I decided to join Twilio as it resonated with both the personal and professional values that are important to me. If I had to choose, it would be We are Positrons. I believe that a positive approach to everything we do is critical to inspire, motivate and succeed but it has to be done with kindness and support to get the very best out of those around you in good times and bad.

Welcome to Twilio, Amy, we can’t wait to see what you build!