Michelle van Straalen

Michelle van Straalen is an accomplished professional specializing in information privacy and data security, currently serving in the Risk & Compliance - Privacy role at the Earthquake Commission since April 2021. As the Director of The Information Privacy Company since October 2020, Michelle leads a consultancy focused on helping organizations navigate New Zealand's privacy laws. Previous experience includes working as a Legal Advisor for Hamilton City Council, where legal compliance regarding privacy legislation was emphasized, and as a Legal Officer at the Civil Aviation Authority, where Michelle provided guidance on information privacy law and conducted educational seminars. Michelle is also an alumna of The University of Waikato, where studies were undertaken from 2015 to 2018.