Deirdre Ashdown

Deirdre Ashdown is an experienced professional in data privacy and information governance, currently serving as Data Privacy Manager at Aviva since January 2020, while also holding the role of Information Governance Manager at the Food Standards Agency since April 2010. In this latter position, Deirdre has effectively planned and led strategic initiatives to ensure compliance with the EU General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018, focusing on areas such as privacy notices, contractual compliance, Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIAs), and policy development. Prior to these roles, Deirdre accumulated extensive managerial experience at Royal Mail from April 1990 to June 2002, serving in various capacities including Area HR Manager and Operations Manager. Deirdre holds multiple certifications, including the CIPP/E from IAPP and a Certificate in Data Protection from BCS, as well as a Bachelor’s degree in Law from the University of London.