Highlights Legal & Compliance event

Several highlights stood out across the program: Opening and Panel discussions

The conference opened with our own Managing Director of Legal & Compliance, Judith van Schie, who set the tone on the importance of international collaboration. This was followed by an insightful panel discussion on Success Factors for Cross-Border Compliance Programs, where speakers from Medecins sans Frontières (Thijs van Buuren), Ethics and Compliance Observatory Group NL (Andrea Cardoso) and Wolters Kluwer (Suzanne MacDonald) emphasised risk-based approaches, local adaptability, training, and cultural awareness. All agreed on one central point: while AI can support compliance efforts, integrity and human judgment remain irreplaceable.

Keynotes 

Maarten van Hasteren, Head of IT & Data at Schiphol Airport, in his keynote "Data Flow Fly – Transforming Operations Through Data and Technology" demonstrated how data and AI can transform operations through smarter crowd flow management, dynamic wayfinding, and collaboration between experienced staff and technology. Schiphol's real-life applications illustrated that technology delivers the best results when guided by human expertise.

Our co-founder and Professor of Privacy and Cybercrime at Leiden University, Bart Schermer, then offered a cautionary perspective in the keynote "How to Fail in Responsibly Using LLMs in Five Easy Steps", showing how the absence of clear goals, safeguards, or retraining can undermine even the best AI initiatives. The message was clear: AI systems must be implemented with boundaries, responsibility, and ongoing oversight.

Workshops 

Our breakout sessions focused on practical tools for compliance. The "Smart Hiring – AI for Recruitment & Talent Matching" workshop, led by Martin Woodward, Director Global Legal & Global Responsible AI Officer at Randstad, as well as Considerati's James O’Neill and Julia Buhrs, addressed how AI is shaping recruitment, candidate screening, and compliance obligations under the AI Act. The "Compliance Roots – Grow It Right, Start with the Register" workshop, led by Yentl de Stigter, Senior Risk Manager Privacy at Action, and Considerati's Bram Hoovers and Boris Kruse, guided participants through approaches to building a ROPA register, combining legal obligations with business needs while ensuring visibility and accountability.

International perspectives 

To round off the day, in an engaging interview session moderated by our Fatih Yavuzer, Johannes Marosi, Federal Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information in North Rhine-Westphalia, and Valentino Halim, Junior Partner at Oppenhof, discussed GDPR data transfer safeguards, the reliance on adequacy decisions, including the EU–US Data Privacy Framework, and the importance of having multiple transfer mechanisms as a reliable compliance strategy. Looking ahead, attendees were encouraged to prepare for additional regulatory guidance and potentially the first adequacy decision regarding Africa; Kenya.

Looking forward 

This year’s discussions highlighted that compliance is not just about meeting obligations. It is about building trust with stakeholders and enabling business strategy. The human factor, and therefore a human-centric approach, is essential to achieve this.

"Photography by Esther van Vliet