Want to receive a copy of our monthly Data Protection newsletter and news from the DPAS team?
Helping organisations access the value of their data, create a vision, embed the change and build the future.
Please note all information on this website is for your help and guidance. It should not be regarded as an authoritative or definitive statement of the law.
Nigel, DPAS founder, is a leading expert in the industry. A hugely experienced Data Protection Officer, he has held many senior positions in both the private and public sectors, experience invaluable to the conception and growth of the company.
As you could probably imagine, Nigel keeps very busy – not just in the office, but outside of work hours, too! When he isn’t walking his dog Beau, he’s refereeing rugby games on the weekends, or out exploring the beautiful scenery of the UK in his camper.
Together with Mel, Nigel brought DPAS into existence, and for years, has done incredible work for a multitude of clients and organisations. Nigel has poured his heart and soul into DPAS, and it simply wouldn’t exist without his efforts.
Mel is the CEO at DPAS an oversees the smooth running of the business. With Nigel, Mel helped build DPAS from the ground up in 2017, overcoming many challenges to get DPAS to the internationally recognised status it holds today.
Her experience, her qualifications, and dedication to the business are integral to DPAS’ strong reputation in the industry. When she’s not liaising with clients, strategising or managing our staff, you can find her skiing, exploring with her dog Coco, or hitting the waves.
Thanks to Mel and Nigel’s hard work, DPAS is now a market leader in data protection, and will only thrive more in the future.
Emma assists CEO Mel with the running of DPAS’s day-to-day operations, more or less taking on a little bit of everything – HR, accounting, operational, marketing – you name it, she’s involved.
When she’s not busy at DPAS, Emma is often reading, doing a bit of cross stitch (as an excuse to limit her Internet use) and working towards a Personal Trainer qualification. She strives to help people achieve their goals and improve their physical and mental health.
Through making sure that things at DPAS are running smoothly, and being the main point of contact for any queries or issues pertaining to them, Emma is a huge help to the team, and is determined to help DPAS overcome any obstacles in the future.
Meg’s varied role at DPAS is one involving sales, admin, training enquiries and managing contacts – to name a few. What drew Meg to DPAS was the passionate team and flexibility opportunities available like hybrid working, which was a huge bonus as a working mum.
When Meg can find spare time between nursery and after school clubs, she likes to go out to restaurants and spend time with her friends and family. She recounts her most recent visit to Dubai as one of the more surreal experiences of her life and would love to go again soon.
The future of data protection is exciting but unsure. Meg feels that funding is a big issue – especially during a cost of living crisis – and many people might be unable to afford services like training. But with Meg at the helm, sales at DPAS are always in good hands.
Nat is our Head of Consultancy. She leads our internal and external consultants, supporting with project delivery, mentoring, and development. Nat wears many hats at DPAS, getting involved in many aspects of the business. These include training, compliance projects, and also managing her own clients, including a number of international customers, where she acts as an outsourced Data Protection Officer.
Nat also delivers some of our BCS and CPD accredited training courses, bringing her experience in teaching to the DPAS training programme.
Outside of work, Nat is most happy out with her friends, catching up over some good food and a glass of wine (or two). You will also find her enjoying Devon’s coastline with her partner, and beautiful puppy!
Kristal is a member of our consultancy team, who all work together to deliver the quality data protection services that we’re so passionate about.
A big fan of anything with two wheels, Kristal can often be found either mountain biking or out with friends on her motorbike – if you can catch enough of a glimpse as she rockets past, that is. While she loves roaring adventure, she’s also a lover of chucking on a pair of hiking boots for a quieter day out in the countryside with her dog, Billy.
Kristal now brings her unique perspective and determined nature to the DPAS team, with both the brains and the dedication to tackle any issues that our clients may be facing.
Lauren is our Senior Data Protection Officer in the consultancy team, currently completing a Legal Practice Course (LPC). She helps to deliver top-notch advice and guidance to our clients, assisting in their compliance with data law.
Always trying to keep busy, Lauren’s often buried in a good book, out with her dogs, or learning a new song on her guitar. She loves to have a laugh, and is always the first to crack a joke in the office to keep the good vibes going.
Teresa is an experienced practitioner, bringing her love of the subject (due to its always changing nature) to the DPAS consultancy team.
A keen gardener with a bit of a plant hoarding habit, Teresa always finds it hard to resist buying more and every day, turns her outdoor space into more of a jungle. When she’s not honing her art skills through drawing and painting cats, she’s usually taking care of her dogs – two Great Danes who don’t need a lot of exercise but take up a huge amount of space.
Having been involved in the data protection, information security, and information management industries for the past 25 years, working for both public and private organisations, she was also one of the first 50 people in the country to secure the ISEB Certificate in Data Protection when it was first introduced.
Gary joined DPAS in June 2021 and is a regulatory and privacy solicitor with over 15 years’ experience in all areas of risk and compliance, as well as serious fraud and litigation, and was involved in some highly publicised national cases (including the Mid-Staffordshire inquiry and the horse racing corruption scandal).
Gary is also experienced in advising organisations on worldwide data protection and privacy law issues.
As an MBA graduate Gary can also bring his business acumen to DPAS clients.
In addition to general data protection, clients can also avail of Gary’s legal expertise in areas of commercial law, public law, contracts, healthcare and compliance, ensuring DPAS can provide a one-stop-shop for all business legal matters.
Alex’s role at DPAS involves helping the consultancy team to deliver the top services that our clients have come to expect — as well as being the go-to tech support man! Due to his eye for law, DPAS turned out to be a perfect intersection of Alex’s interests and has since reignited his spark.
Alex enjoys a quiet life away from the noise of an increasingly digital world. His great passions include cooking, reading, and watching a variety of sports (despite feeling like he jinxes any team he supports).
Alex believes that concerning technology like deep-faking will only develop further, and so regulations are needed to prevent serious damage. He therefore thinks companies like DPAS are essential, and is proud to be in such a dedicated team of experts in the field.
Zack, initially attracted by the ambition and fast growth of DPAS, spends his days managing a team of SAR officers that help external organisations deal with SAR backlogs, ad-hoc SAR advice and everything in between.
When he’s not busy at DPAS, Zack enjoys the occasional round of golf, working on his allotment, and nice walks on the beach. He admires the opportunities DPAS offers to expand on knowledge and experience through our training and ongoing project work.
Zack believes that the main challenges currently faced by the Data Protection sector come from emerging legislation and the ever-increasing use of AI. While these pose potential threats to the sector, they also present exciting opportunities and challenges.
Jemma is our Senior Subject Access Requests Officer, providing redaction services to various organisations. She also supports the SAR Team Manager, assisting with the quality assurance of SAR output, liaising with our clients and helping with ongoing training and development of our SAR Team.
Jemma loves to decorate cakes (having even committed to making her daughter’s wedding cake) and can often be found tending to her garden or taking her two energetic dogs out for their much-needed exercise! To relax, she loves a good book and a nice cup of tea.
Seamlessly, Jemma has transferred the legal knowledge from her background to the processing of subject access requests here at DPAS, and is now an invaluable and looked-up-to member of our team.
Jack assists the SAR team to deal with the data that subjects request from our clients. He was drawn to DPAS because he was impressed by the work we do for local authorities, and how quickly we process SARs. And the office in lovely Dunchideock sealed the deal!
Constantly on the hunt for self-improvement opportunities, Jack loves to learn, to get involved, to get creative, always jumping at the chance to gain some new practical skills or bury himself in a good book.
Jack believes that data controllers and local authorities are some of the biggest challenges facing this sector, as they are often stretched to capacity, becoming inundated by SARs they are simply unable to process within the time limits required under GDPR.
Bethany initially came to DPAS for a new admin role that would challenge her and teach her new skills. Every day, she shows great enthusiasm and dedication towards supporting the company and helping it grow.
Bethany loves to be outdoors, whether that’s with friends, her spaniel Bramble, or the horses she looks after – Bahri and Snoopy. She’s also in a musical theatre group and so spends a lot of time singing, or simply appreciating the arts by seeing shows during visits to London.
While her personal ambitions relate to performing in musical gigs in the future, she also hopes that she can continue to learn new skills at DPAS, expanding her knowledge while assisting its ongoing development as a market leader in the data protection industry.
Sophie’s role at DPAS involves a lot of something she’s passionate about: reading! It’s her job to look through SARs and redact information unrelated to the data subject. While this can be a challenge, it’s certainly a job that plays to her strengths.
Sophie can often be found curled up with her dog and a book, watching a film, or hanging out with her guinea pigs. She likes to keep active, walking along the beaches Torbay has to offer, and makes sure to nurture her creative side through knitting or making candles.
Originally having joined due to her love of reading, Sophie was overjoyed to learn of the office dogs and is always thrilled whenever they visit. She appreciates the welcoming and personable environment at DPAS, as well as the beautiful pond and garden.
Kathryn, currently living in Wales, works remotely as part of our SARs team, dealing expertly with subject access requests and redacting documents in order for clients to be able to release the information to data subjects.
When she’s not at her computer, you may find Kathryn going on walks with her puppy, enjoying a city break, or exploring new places due to her love of history. She also loves to bake the occasional cake now and then!
Kathryn was drawn to this sector because data protection is always evolving – which keeps things interesting – and was drawn to DPAS in particular because of how we prioritise company culture and career development.
Nicola heads our sales and marketing teams, steering the ship when it comes to promoting and selling our top-rated courses and services. Having spent her career redesigning websites, creating strategies, and building marketing teams, Nicola’s experience introduces a whole new level of expertise to our growing team.
A self-proclaimed “mum of marketing”, Nicola is dedicated and passionate about her work, but also has a lot of love for baking, travelling (having visited over 30 US states so far!), sudokus, and quiz shows – with the hope that one day she’ll brave one herself.
Throughout her time working in big corporations, Private Eye Health Care, and the NHS alike, Nicola mastered the delicate art of helping businesses appeal to clients both old and new – a skill that she now enthusiastically brings to DPAS.
Andy works on maintaining relationships with existing clients and winning new ones. He specialises in change management, project management and providing data protection services to local authorities and their partners.
Andy can often be found in his kitchen, trying out some new recipes in Larousse Gastronomique. He’s got three grown-up(ish) daughters and a grandson who’s trying (and failing) to teach Andy the names of all the Pokemon.
Having been a part of the team since the company was still finding its feet, Andy’s skills have helped DPAS to bring many new services to market over that time, and is to thank for a lot of the company’s triumphs.
Jordan’s role at DPAS involves helping with our marketing strategy, webinars and social media / website content. He was originally drawn to DPAS with the promise of new challenges, exciting learning opportunities, and a passionate team.
When he’s not in the office, Jordan likes to write – if he can fight off his procrastination – and keep fit at the gym. He can also be found trying his hand at new recipes, usually turning his kitchen into a bit of a mess, but never letting that deter him.
As someone who’ll let Tamagotchis die more times than his basketball will soar miles past the net, Jordan knows there are a lot of areas where he doesn’t exactly excel. But despite this, his sense of humour prevails, and helps to keep the mood in the office as light as his bench press.
Ralph delivers a variety of data protection courses, including some of our BCS certified courses. After two decades at the forefront of the privacy sector, Ralph has built his career around making the intricacies of privacy and security risk management understandable.
In terms of the apprenticeship scheme, Ralph works as a teacher and mentor, passing on his knowledge and experience to the apprentices. Ralph also enjoys passing on his passion for privacy by translating often complicated legal concepts into sustainable business processes.
Ralph uses his vast and ever-growing knowledge of data protection laws and information governance standards to aid businesses in their development and growth, helping them to engage their stakeholders and deliver real value to his clients.
● Sits on the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) 27 Working Group 5 for the ISO 27 family of standards (particularly the privacy elements), and the Institute of Operational Privacy by Design
Rowenna, since earning her qualification before the GDPR came along and made data protection cool, has built up over a decade of experience helping organisations stitch together law, tech and humanity as best they can.
She has worked with charities, the public sector, and commercial businesses, has written many articles, given plenty of talks, and has been proud to accept a couple of awards for her outstanding services to geekery.
Rowenna firmly believes that a strong commitment to human rights and welfare is what stands between us and the future-tech dystopia of nightmares. She’s happy to be on the human side, opposing any sci-fi threats that may present themselves in years to come.
Barry has years of valuable experience in the field, offering bespoke and off-the-shelf courses focusing on information governance in Health and Social Care, and delivers our health-focused GDPR training, SIRO, and Caldicott Guardian courses.
Barry has many accomplishments in the field; he won the ICO’s Practitioner Award for Excellence in Data Protection Award 2020, the NHS Strategic Information Governance Network IG Professional of the Year 2021 and the IRMS Lifetime Achievement Award 2020.
Barry formed the first national Strategic Information Governance Network Group, supported the development of the former NHS Information Governance Toolkit, and initiated and supported the development of the Information Governance/Data Protection Apprenticeship.
● Former Chair for the Eastern Region IG Forum
Naomi is responsible for areas such as freedom of information requests, data protection services (including subject access requests), data protection audits, records management, and CCTV and RIPA compliance.
She’s an expert at drafting Data Protection Impact Assessments and Information Sharing Agreements, processing agreements, and dealing with ICO investigations both in relation to breach matters and FOI complaints. She has carried out training with multiple organisations in relation to freedom of information, data protection and records management. She has also carried out specialised training with schools to assist internal DPOs and to give specific training in matters redaction, CCTV and information sharing.
Naomi is a fee paid member of the Upper Tribunal assigned to the Administrative Appeals Chamber (Information Rights Jurisdiction) and First Tier Tribunal General Regulatory Chamber (Information Rights Jurisdiction). The tribunal hears appeals in relation to requests under the freedom of information legislation, the environmental information regulations and certain appeals under the Data Protection Act 2018.
Beau is the old girl owned by Nigel, not that you would ever know!
She can be found in the bosses office, enjoying her very own armchair and scenic views like a true country girl. Don’t let it fool you though, if there is a ball in sight then Beau will be the first one to the scene.
She loves to be chasing a ball or running around outside. She takes herself for a walk to the local church now and then, which has caused several moments of panic.
Meet Coco, the beach-loving wonder with an unbreakable bond to the water. This adventurous canine transforms into a beachcombing extraordinaire, fearlessly exploring every nook and cranny of the sandy shores. She’s an aspiring canine surfer, gracefully riding waves with finesse and leaving onlookers in awe. Coco’s passion for the beach goes beyond admiration. She’s a seagull-chasing, sand-digging maestro, embodying the carefree spirit of the shoreline.
With her paws in the sand and the sun on her fur, Coco reminds us to embrace life’s adventures and dive headfirst into sandy joy.
Meet Frank, the smile-wearing Sprocker Spaniel. With his infectious grin, he brightens your day and could be mistaken for a furry comedian. In the park, he conducts ball-catching symphonies, gracefully leaping and capturing balls with precision.
Legend has it that Frank is a treat-jar-raiding master, leaving only a victorious smile as evidence. His obsession with balls knows no bounds, spotting them from a mile away. Honorary titles like “Sir Bounce-a-Lot” adorn him, and he’s a connoisseur of chew toys, treating them with utmost respect.
When you need a pick-me-up, turn to Frank—the ball-chasing, treat-snatching, smile-spreading aficionado who knows life is better with a grin.
Elton, a dashing gentleman who combines the best parts of a Newfoundland and an Old English Sheepdog, is the newest canine member of the DPAS family. Fashionable, bright, and often cheeky, Elton can turn any frown upside down by showing off his tricks.
For Elton, there’s no in-between – he’s either bolting around the garden trying to catch the hose water, or he’s collapsing onto the sofa, lazily sighing after a long day. Having been caught more than once dozing with his head in the water bowl, we can all relate to Elton’s sleepiness.
Elton also doesn’t seem to be aware of how big he is. Despite now being the size of a lion, he continues to bound around the office with endless frantic energy, always keen to shove his toys onto your keyboard while you’re trying to work. But honestly, we don’t mind!
