Organizations that offer goods or services to, or process data from, individuals in the EU must comply with GDPR requirements, even if they are not based in the EU themselves. If you are not sure whether this applies to you, contact your compliance and legal counsel.
Compliance|
2 min. read |
3/18/2025
GDPR Information Series #3: The Data Protection Officer
Valerie Bertrand
SVP, European Counsel, Associate General Counsel – Africa, Europe, Middle East and UK
Key Takeaways
- What is the GDPR?
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is the European Union’s general privacy and data protection law. - What is a Data Protection Officer (DPO)?
An organization’s DPO supports its compliance with laws regulating the use and processing of personal data. - Who is First Advantage’s DPO?
First Advantage’s DPO in the United Kingdom and Europe is HewardMills, a global DPO office.
A Data Protection Officer (DPO) is an individual responsible for supporting an organization comply with data protection laws and ensuring personal data is handled appropriately. Under Article 37 of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), appointing a DPO is mandatory for certain organizations, including public authorities and those that conduct large-scale monitoring of individuals or process large volumes of sensitive personal data. The DPO advises on privacy obligations, monitors compliance, provides guidance on data protection risks, and serves as a contact point for individuals and regulators on privacy-related matters.
HewardMills serves as the Data Protection Officer (DPO) for First Advantage in United Kingdom and Europe.
HewardMills supports First Advantage Global Compliance team for monitoring First Advantage’s data privacy compliance and serves as a point of contact between Fist Advantage, individuals, and the Supervisory Authorities.
HewardMills is a global DPO office with a multidisciplinary team of data professionals. HewardMills has a wide range of skills and expertise within its team, further supported by a network of trusted strategic partners. HewardMills is known for its long-lasting embedded relationships, their focus is on integrity, ethics, and for protecting customers and Data Subjects. HewardMills assists customers around the world with building robust data protection compliance programs on four (4) fundamental pillars: Corporate Governance, Privacy Operations, Polices & Procedures and Training & Awareness.
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HewardMills as First Advantage’s DPO
HewardMills supports First Advantage and helps build a robust compliance programme around the 4 pillars.
- Corporate Governance
- Data protection corporate governance structures
- Registrations and notifications with the appropriate data protection authorities
- Regional Analyses & Horizon Watching
- Privacy Operations
- Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIA)
- Record of Processing Activities (RoPAs)
- Legitimate Interest Assessment (LIA)
- Data Subject Rights Requests (DSRRs)
- International Data Transfer Mechanisms
- Privacy by Design and by Default
- Breach management planning and response plans
- Data Retention
- ePrivacy
- Policies and Procedures
- Training & awareness
- Others
- Point of contact for the Data Protection Authorities
- Local regulatory requirements
HewardMills’ DPO Presence in Europe:
For more information on HewardMills, please visit https://hewardmills.com/.
Next in the GDPR Information Series…“Lawful Basis for Processing”
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Frequently Asked Questions
Does the GDPR apply to my organization?
What do DPO’s responsibilities involve?
Data Protection Officers (DPOs) are responsible for informing an organization of its obligations under the GDPR, monitoring its compliance, providing guidance, and acting as a point of contact for individuals and authorities who have requests regarding the processing of personal data.
About First Advantage
Along the candidate journey HR teams choose First Advantage for consistent screening, fast verifications, and support of compliance regulations.
- 200M screens annually
- 1B+ records in proprietary databases
- 200+ countries and territories
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About the author
Valerie Bertrand
SVP, European Counsel, Associate General Counsel – Africa, Europe, Middle East and UK
This content is offered for informational purposes only. First Advantage is not a law firm, and this content does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal advice. Information in this may not constitute the most up-to-date legal or other information.
Readers of this content should contact their own legal advisors concerning for their particular circumstance. No reader, or user of this content, should act or refrain from acting on the basis of information in this content. Only your individual attorney or legal advisor can provide assurances that the information contained herein – and your interpretation of it – is applicable or appropriate to your particular situation. Use of, and access to, this content does not create an attorney-client relationship between the reader, or user of this presentation and First Advantage.
