Written by WOM member: Samantha Iodice

A fundamental and ever-evolving function in the world of MarTech is the labyrinth of Privacy and Compliance. An intrinsic part of the technology world, privacy law and compliance is not a flashy business, but it is essential to ensure the protection of brands and consumers. As Chief Privacy Officer at Lotame, Amy Yeung is actively participating in the conversations shaping the way we think about how we protect our companies and our data. This is no small task and requires rigorous attention to detail and active participation within the industry daily.

Career Evolution: From Lawyer To MarTech Privacy Officer

With a B.A. in Political Science from The University of Chicago and a J.D. from Duke University School of Law, Amy began her legal career by practicing at law firms such as Wilmer, Cutler, Pickering, Hale & Dorr, and clerking for the Delaware Court of Chancery. She entered her first corporate position as Assistant General Counsel for a global video game publisher, ZeniMax. Her mission was to guide the company during their accelerated growth through emerging and evolving regulation around data, privacy, and protecting children. 

After her success at ZeniMax, she moved to AI platform Dataminr during its mid-market expansion. Continuing to build on her successes, she moved on to be Deputy General Counsel at Comscore, leading efforts to bring the company back to the public market after it was delisted. She was also integral in evolving the company to first-rate compliance in alignment with new and upcoming privacy regulations while collaborating in the development and launch of Comscore products. 

Today, Amy is Chief Privacy Officer at Lotame, where she landed the opportunity to take her privacy by design experience and learnings and apply them to the complex MarTech landscape for an innovative company. 

The Advantage Of Inclusive Teams

Diversity is an important factor to Amy, calling her experience with inclusive teams “invaluable.” At Comscore, she led a team of 16 women and 10 people of color. With all the challenges the company was facing, the amount of work to be completed in a constricted time frame was incredible. Amy vehemently believes her multicultural and multi-perspective team was integral to Comscore’s success. Further, Amy says, “That team has continued to excel with their own individual success stories, which just goes to show that diversity not only lifts the individual but it impacts the overall company health. Lotame’s legal team today is diverse as well, which was a key driver in my joining the company.”

Third Party Cookies & The Future Of Martech

When asked what she feels will change in MarTech in the next 5 years, Amy simply replied, “Most everything!” After a light laugh she said, “But seriously, I think the move toward standardization is growing in light of the third-party cookie going away. Every industry is consolidating and MarTech won’t be any different. Five years is a long time in MarTech because unlike oil and gas or pharma, MarTech has always been and will continue to be on an accelerated innovation curve. Five years is really asking what will happen in 10-15 years in another industry. My hope is that the industry will look more like the diverse consumers and communities we serve. More purpose-built companies will lean into the “why” of what they create and put out in the world, which will create growth and value both within the organization and outside of it.” 

Advice To Gain Increased Visibility In MarTech 

Amy’s years of experience have brought her some wonderful learnings to share with the Women of MarTech. For her personally, her commitment to learning and understanding the products of the company she works for is imperative. She says this helps her to learn what challenges her colleagues face when trying to satisfy client needs and helps her own understanding of “how the sausage is made.” More specifically, Amy says, “If you’re on the sales or product side of MarTech, it’s expected that you’ll understand the products you’re selling and developing. But for other functions across the organization, I’d advise young professionals to dive in, ask questions, be curious about the ‘what’, ‘how’, and ‘why’ of the company you work for. As we spend more and more time at work, it becomes a reflection of us, an intrinsic part of our identity, so make sure that time is well spent on something you care about.”

Amy also noted the importance of blocking time for your personal passions in establishing work-life balance. “For me, it’s rock climbing. I feel rejuvenated after climbing and that uninhibited freedom brings joy to every aspect of my life. Unfortunately, that activity has been put on hold due to the pandemic, so I’ve had to find other things that give my mind that space to be whole. Having that outlet, whether it be creative or exercise, is essential to refueling not only your mind and body, but your soul.”