Sylvia Klasovec Kingsmill

Global Cyber Privacy Leader and Partner

KPMG in Canada

Sylvia has over 15 years‘ experience providing strategic, risk management and compliance advisory services, serving both the public and private sectors. She advises executive teams on data-driven digital strategies to support major business transformations in alignment with new regulations, policy and data governance trends, having successfully deployed data analytics platforms and national data registries.

Her specialty is transforming existing corporate compliance and privacy programs in response to internal audits, regulatory findings and exams.  She often deals with Privacy Commissioners remediating compliance orders, and has advised on some of the largest, high-profile data breach investigations.  

Sylvia is a lawyer by profession and often advises financial institutions on the intersection of emerging technologies, trustworthy AI, ethical use of data, privacy and regulatory expectations.  Her privacy career began at the Information Privacy Commissioner's Office where she conducted extensive pan-Canadian privacy reviews involving consent management, cross-border data flows, data sharing models and outsourcing issues, and amended privacy regulations to enable registries to operate seamlessly for eHealth initiatives.  She has advised banks extensively on Privacy by Design and CASL requirements.

Sylvia launched the Privacy by Design Certification Program together with Dr. Ann Cavoukian, former provincial privacy regulator, for readiness against the new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), having successfully certified several global organizations for proof of compliance to privacy regulators.

Professional and Industry Experience - Highlights

  • Interim Chief Privacy Officer, LifeLabs
  • Canadian Chair, ISO PC/317 (31700) Consumer Protection: Privacy by Design for Consumer Goods and Services
  • Advisor, CIO Strategy Council, CICSO 101:2019 Automated Decision Systems using Machine Learning, Ethics by Design and Ethical Use
  • Advisor to Minister Bains’ Roundtable Consultations for Canada’s National Digital Strategy
  • Special Advisor to the International Council on Global Privacy and Security by Design, advising on the   deployment of privacy enhancing technologies involving AI, Big Data, & Ethics by Design
  • Participant & Advisor, CPA Canada Foresight Roundtable: Reimaging the Profession
  • Digital-driven transformation
  • Public Policy and Regulatory Change
  • Transformation

  • Law Society of Upper Canada (Called to Ontario Bar in 2003)

  • LLB, University of Ottawa

  • BA Honours in Sociology, York University

  • CIO Strategy Council, Advisory Member

  • Canadian Bar Association, Member

  • International Association of Privacy Professionals, Member

  • International Women of Risk Community, Canadian Chair, KPMG Canada