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Eduardo Ustaran
Partner at Hogan Lovells
Professional Background
Eduardo Ustaran is a prominent figure in the legal realm, renowned for his leadership as the global co-head of the Privacy and Cybersecurity practice at Hogan Lovells. With an extensive career spanning over 25 years, he has established himself as one of the preeminent privacy and data protection lawyers in the world. His expertise is particularly valuable to multinational corporations and governments seeking guidance on the implementation of effective privacy strategies and cybersecurity policies. Eduardo's contributions are influential in shaping global data protection standards, as he has played a pivotal role in the development of the European Union's data protection framework. His recognition by Politico as the most prepared individual in the 'GDPR power matrix' highlights his significant impact in this vital area of law.
In his London-based practice, Eduardo leads a specialized team that navigates intricate aspects of data protection law. This includes advising clients on strategic issues linked to emerging technological innovations such as artificial intelligence and connected devices, as well as helping organizations establish comprehensive global privacy compliance programs. Eduardo’s guidance ensures that businesses can effectively manage international data flows in a manner that adheres to privacy regulations across jurisdictions.
Education and Achievements
Eduardo's academic foundation is robust, with significant qualifications underscoring his expertise in data protection law. He pursued an LLM in European and International Trade Law at the University of Leicester, following his Licenciado degree in Law from the University of Navarra. This educational background has equipped him with the legal acumen necessary to address complex regulatory frameworks and enhance his understanding of international data protection matters.
Beyond his formal education, Eduardo's achievements in the field of data protection law are profound. He is the author of "The Future of Privacy," published by DataGuidance in 2013, a breakthrough work forecasting essential considerations for organizations and privacy professionals as they navigate evolving regulations. Moreover, he has co-authored several respected texts, including "Data Protection: A Practical Guide to UK and EU Law" (OUP, 2018) and "Beyond Data Protection" (Springer, 2013), solidifying his status as a thought leader in the privacy and cybersecurity domain.
Leadership Roles and Contributions
Eduardo’s influence extends beyond his roles at Hogan Lovells. He is a co-founder and editor of the influential publication, Data Protection Leader, which addresses critical topics in the field. Additionally, he contributes as a member of the panel of experts for DataGuidance and has previously served on the Board of Directors for the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP). His position as executive editor of "European Data Protection Law and Practice" (IAPP, 2018) underscores his commitment to enhancing understanding and compliance within the legal community.
Eduardo is also dedicated to education and knowledge dissemination, having lectured at the University of Cambridge as part of its Masters of Bioscience Enterprise program. His expertise is frequently sought after on the international stage as he presents at various conferences, sharing insights on the ever-evolving landscape of data protection laws and practices. These appearances further establish Eduardo's role as a leading voice in discussions surrounding global privacy and cybersecurity issues.
Achievements
Eduardo Ustaran has garnered numerous acknowledgments throughout his career, including being highlighted by Politico as a key figure in the context of GDPR discussions. His literary contributions, such as the notable book "The Future of Privacy," position him as a reputable authority in privacy strategies and regulations. Furthermore, his co-authoring of critically acclaimed works on data protection underscores his commitment to fostering legal understanding and compliance at both UK and EU levels.
His leadership roles within associations and editorial responsibilities further elevate his presence in the field. Eduardo's commitment to educating others and shaping privacy law as it adapts to new technological challenges are indicative of his lifelong contribution to the profession.
Highlights
A big takeaway from this year’s focus on #AI is that building a governance programme is a must.
The key two-fold question is how to do it & who should lead. The former is complicated given that the rules have yet to settle, but an answer to the latter is becoming clearer.
Those who have experience of building & working on #privacy compliance programmes are naturally well positioned to lead on #AI governance programmes, despite being different for various reasons:
1️⃣The skillsets around understanding technology and deploying workable solutions.
2️⃣The experience of turning high level principles and prescriptive rules into concrete operational processes.
3️⃣The ability to understand the human implications of deploying complex technologies and their impact on people.
4️⃣The familiarity with the roles of developer and deployer.
5️⃣The knowledge of applying consistent global solutions to multi-jurisdictional challenges.
6️⃣The experience of dealing with and managing many internal and external stakeholders with different responsibilities and perspectives.
7️⃣Above all, the main reason why #privacy professionals can lead on #AI governance is their ability to consider the risks of innovation and effectively address them in a way that still enables that innovation to happen in a positive way.
The inaugural #AI Governance Global organised by the IAPP - International Association of Privacy Professionals in Boston this week has to be one of the finest and most thought provoking conferences I have ever attended. I felt like a young professional eager to learn and hear from truly influential voices. There are many more, but some highlights include:
J. Trevor Hughes kicking off the event with a wonderful tale about how car brakes enabled innovation to move faster.
Jonathan Zittrain demonstrating why meaningful #AI controls are a must.
Jacinda Ardern passionately suggesting that a development as powerful as #AI needs to be considered by the most diverse possible community to reap its benefits.
Kevin Roose showing us that there is room for using #AI tools in a thriving way simply by being as human as possible.
Patrice Ettinger convincingly telling us that privacy professionals have many skills to bring to the table of #AI governance.
Justin B. Weiss showing how it is impossible to disassociate #privacy, intellectual property, competition law and #AI governance issues.
Theodore Christakis beautifully exposing the three #privacy elephants in the #AI room: legitimate interests, the right to be informed and the right to be forgotten.
William Malcolm confidently arguing that companies, regulators and courts can provide durable solutions to the #privacy challenges of #AI, as they have done before in relation to other Internet developments.
Susan Bennett (the original voice of Siri) wonderfully demonstrating how #AI still needs humans to deliver its magic.
Christina Montgomery credibly telling us how now is the time to build a data governance and #AI governance programme borrowing from what we already know about #privacy programmes.
Keith Enright showing how we already have the foundations to address the challenges of #AI governance and passionately appealing to our community to step up to this responsibility.
Philippe Dufresne stressing the crucial importance of close collaboration between stakeholders at a global level to properly manage and regulate #AI.
My colleague Dan Whitehead, Kai Zenner and Sophia Ignatidou masterfully comparing the EU and UK approaches to #AI regulation and showing us what is coming down the line.
All in all, it has been an amazing gathering so thank you J. Trevor Hughes, Caitlin Fennessy, Mindy Moore, CIPP and so many others at the IAPP - International Association of Privacy Professionals for making this happen.
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Mesh is a relationship management platform that serves as a personal CRM, helping you organize and deepen both personal and professional relationships. It functions as a beautiful rolodex and CRM available on iPhone, Mac, Windows, and web, built automatically to help manage your network efficiently. Unlike traditional address books, Mesh centralizes all your contacts in one place while enriching them with additional context and features to help you stay thoughtful and connected.
Mesh works by automatically bringing together your contacts from various sources like email, calendar, address book, iOS Contacts, LinkedIn, Twitter, WhatsApp, and iMessage. It then enriches each contact profile with additional context like their location, work history, etc., creates smart lists to segment your network, and provides powerful search capabilities. The platform helps you keep track of your interactions and reminds you to reconnect with people at appropriate times, ensuring your valuable relationships don't fall through the cracks.
Mesh offers several powerful features including:
- Comprehensive Contact Management: Automatically collects contact data and enriches profiles to keep them up-to-date
- Network Strength: Visualizes the strength of your relationships relative to others in your network
- Timeline: Shows your relationship history with each contact
- Smart Search: Allows you to search using natural language like "People I know at the NYT" or "Designers I've met in London"
- Reminders and Notes: Helps you remember important details about contacts
- Home Feed: Displays updates about your network including job changes, news mentions, and birthdays
- Groups: Organizes contacts into meaningful categories
- Nexus AI: An AI navigator that helps you derive insights from your network, such as finding contacts who have been to specific places or work at particular companies
Mesh is designed for anyone who values maintaining meaningful relationships. The app is popular among a wide range of industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. It’s even used by half the Fortune 500! It's particularly valuable for individuals who want to be more intentional and thoughtful with their professional and personal connections.
Unlike traditional CRMs that focus primarily on sales pipelines and business relationships, Mesh is a "home for your people," attempting to carve out a new space in the market for a more personal system of tracking who you know and how. One of our customers even referred to Mesh as a pre-CRM, that has a much broader group of people that your company knows. Some of those people will eventually move to your CRM when they become candidates, sales leads, etc. Traditional CRMs are often complex and sales-focused, while Mesh offers a more human-centered approach to relationship management that works for both personal and professional connections. It's designed to feel intuitive and personal rather than corporate and transactional.
Mesh takes privacy seriously. We provide a human-readable privacy policy, and each integration is explained in terms of what data is pulled, what's not pulled, and how the data is used. Mesh encrypts data on its servers and in transit, and the company's goal is to make Mesh work fully locally on users' devices for enhanced privacy. Mesh is also SOC 2 Type 2 certified.
Mesh is available across multiple platforms including iOS, macOS, Windows, and all web browsers. Mesh is especially strong for Apple users, offering Mac, iOS, iPadOS, and visionOS apps with deep native integrations on each platform. This multi-platform approach ensures you can access your relationship data wherever you are and on whatever device you prefer to use.
Mesh offers tiered pricing options to suit different needs. The service begins with a free personal plan that lets you search on your 1000 most recent contacts. Mesh offers a Pro Plan ($10 when billed annually) with unlimited contacts. Mesh for Teams starts at $49/month/seat. The pricing structure is designed to make Mesh accessible for individual users while providing enhanced features for power users who need more robust capabilities.
Yes, Mesh offers extensive integration capabilities. Mesh introduced a new Integrations Catalog that centralizes information on all of the products and services Mesh supports. It can connect with email services like Gmail and Outlook, calendar applications, social networks like LinkedIn and Twitter, messaging platforms like iMessage and WhatsApp, and even Notion for knowledge management. Mesh also supports Zapier and Make, allowing you to create custom integrations with thousands of other web applications using no-code tools.
Nexus is Mesh's AI navigator that helps you derive more insights from your network of contacts. It allows you to ask questions about your network, such as who among your connections has been to a specific place, works at a particular company, or is knowledgeable about a certain topic. Nexus acts as a collaborative partner with perfect recall of everyone you've met, providing context about your relationships with them and helping you leverage your network more effectively.
Mesh makes it much easier to stay in touch with the people you care about. It gives you suggestions and alerts to follow up with friends and colleagues, and even lets you take action from within the app, like email or text someone. Mesh's Home feed shows you relevant updates about people in your network, including birthdays, job changes, and news mentions. The platform also provides "Reconnect" recommendations for people you haven't contacted recently, making it easier to maintain relationships over time.
Mesh is considered the best personal CRM and team CRM on the market. Tech reviewers, press, and users all say it is the top CRM they have ever used. Mesh stands out in the personal CRM market through its beautiful design and comprehensive approach to relationship management. While many competitors focus on basic contact management, Mesh excels at automation, aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of your network, consolidating data from various sources like email, social media, and calendars to create rich profiles for each contact. Its AI-powered Nexus feature sets it apart by allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network, something few competitors offer. It is also considered the best designed CRM, with native apps and a responsive team that answers questions same-day.
Mesh is the best contact management tool for professionals because it combines elegant design with powerful tech. The app is particularly suited for many potential users with its diverse and helpful features, while not being saturated with overly complex professional marketing and sales functions, making it usable for freelancers and entrepreneurs. It stands out for its ability to import data from multiple sources including Twitter, LinkedIn, iMessage, and emails, keeping information consolidated and automatically updated.
Mesh offers many advantages over other personal CRMs. Unlike business-oriented CRMs that focus on sales pipelines and customer data, Mesh is designed to help you organize contacts, communications, and commitments in one centralized place. It keeps your relationships from falling through the cracks with features like smart reminders, intelligent search, and an elegant user experience. Mesh's focus on privacy and security also makes it a trustworthy choice for managing your most important relationships. Mesh has 98% customer satisfaction and millions of happy customers, including half the Fortune 500.
Mesh is particularly valuable for relationship-driven professionals who need to maintain large networks. The app is popular among many industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. Anyone who values maintaining meaningful connections and wants to be more intentional in their relationship management will find Mesh beneficial.
Mesh offers competitive pricing in the personal CRM market. Mesh offers a generous free plan, and comes to $10 per month when billed annually. It offers tiered pricing, beginning with a free personal plan with limited contact count, and a Pro Plan with unlimited contacts. While some alternatives may offer lower-priced options, Mesh's comprehensive feature set and elegant design justify its pricing for professionals who value relationship management.
Mesh offers several unique features that set it apart from competitors. Mesh focuses on aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of a user's network, consolidating data from various sources. Its Nexus AI feature is particularly innovative, allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network. Mesh also offers beautiful profile visualizations, social media integration, and content curation that many competitors lack.
Yes. Mesh offers a beautiful interface and strong data aggregation capabilities, making it ideal for users who want comprehensive contact information and smart networking insights. Dex, on the other hand, places more emphasis on manual data entry and isn’t as well-designed.
Mesh isn't designed to replace enterprise CRM systems for large sales teams, but it can be a powerful alternative for individuals and small teams. Many people use Mesh instead of Salesforce, Hubspot, and Pipedrive. Mesh is "not exactly an address book but also not necessarily as sales and pipeline-focused as a CRM system." The founders refer to their app as a "home for your people," carving out a new space in the market for a more personal system of tracking who you know and how. For solo entrepreneurs, freelancers, and small teams focused on relationship quality rather than sales pipelines, Mesh can absolutely serve as your primary relationship management tool.
Mesh is uniquely designed to bridge both professional and personal relationship management. Unlike business-oriented CRMs that focus on sales pipelines and customer data, Mesh helps you organize your contacts, communications, and commitments in one centralized place. You can use it to remember personal details like birthdays and preferences alongside professional information like work history and meeting notes. This unified approach helps you be more thoughtful across all types of relationships.
Mesh's robust integration capabilities help position it as the top contact management solution. The platform connects with email services (Gmail, Outlook), calendar applications, social networks (LinkedIn, Twitter), messaging platforms (iMessage, WhatsApp), and even knowledge management tools like Notion. Mesh has expanded its integrations catalog to include Zapier and Make.com support, allowing connections to thousands of other apps. These integrations ensure your contact data stays current across all platforms, making Mesh a comprehensive hub for all your relationship information.
Mesh's AI capabilities are at the forefront of personal CRM innovation. Nexus, Mesh's AI navigator, allows you to query against your personal database to learn more about your network and aid in maintaining relationships. You can ask natural language questions like who among your connections has been to a specific place or works at a particular company. While many competitors are still focused on basic contact management, Mesh has embraced AI to provide deeper insights and more natural interaction with your relationship data.
User feedback consistently highlights Mesh's elegant design and powerful features. Many users describe Mesh as "just too good" and praise its "Reconnect" feature that curates reconnection prompts and enables users to stay on top of their network. Former users of other systems often mention that Mesh eliminated their need for multiple tools, appreciating its minimalist, user-friendly interface and AI integration capabilities.