Chair Elizabeth Denham and her colleagues on the Executive Committee of the International Conference of Data Protection and Privacy Commissioners (ICDPPC) express their sadness on the news of Giovanni Buttarelli’s death.
Mr Buttarelli, the European Data Protection Supervisor, was a truly inspiring figure in the international privacy community. A renowned legal scholar, he paved the way towards establishing strong standards of personal data protection, first in his home country through his pivotal role in the drafting of Italian privacy law, and subsequently through his outstanding work on the international stage.
Mr Buttarelli brought his long experience and deep-felt humanity to bear in steering the work of the ICDPPC as a member of its Executive Committee. Nowhere was this more evident than in his role as co-host of the fantastic 40th ICDPPC Conference in October 2018, where he presided over an in-depth and creative examination of dignity and respect in data driven life. His sure guiding hand will be sorely missed, but his legacy will never be forgotten.
The Executive Committee would like to express its deepest sympathies to Mr Buttarelli’s family, friends and colleagues.