Demand for Privacy and Compliance Professionals

Q&A with Dr. Esona : “Q&A Thursday: Mastering GRC in the Age of AI” Welcome to Q&A Thursday! This week, we’re diving into one of the most underrated (and fastest-growing) areas in tech: 𝗚𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲, 𝗥𝗶𝘀𝗸 & 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 (𝗚𝗥𝗖)—𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝗮𝗻 𝗔𝗜-𝗱𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱. Why? Because behind every great innovation, there’s someone making sure it’s ethical, compliant, and secure. 💡 GRC isn’t slowing innovation down—it’s the engine that keeps it running safely. Let’s get into your top 5 questions: Q1: What’s the #1 GRC risk in using AI at work? ↳ Lack of oversight. AI is being adopted faster than it’s being governed. Without frameworks in place, organizations risk biased outputs, regulatory fines, and brand damage. Q2: How do I pivot into GRC from a non-technical background? ↳ Start by learning the language of governance: → NIST Cybersecurity Framework → ISO 27001 → GDPR & U.S. data laws ↳ Then stack with certs like CISA, CRISC, or even OneTrust. Your background in policy, law, education, or operations is already a strength! Q3: Is GRC still in demand in 2025? ↳ More than ever. Companies need professionals who understand how to build resilient systems—not just flashy ones. GRC isn’t the “no” department anymore—it’s the strategic risk partner. Q4: What skills do GRC professionals need today? ↳ Modern GRC is a mix of: → Policy writing & audit management → Legal/regulatory research → Communication & stakeholder alignment → And yes… prompt engineering. AI fluency is now a GRC skill—because you can’t govern what you don’t understand. Q5: Can I work in GRC remotely? ↳ Absolutely. Remote roles in compliance, privacy, and risk are growing fast—especially for companies navigating global AI regulations. 📅 Want to break into or level up your GRC career in the age of AI? Book a 1:1 strategy session with me and let’s build your personalized roadmap. 🔔 Follow for more tech + governance career insights! ♻️ Repost if this was helpful or tag someone curious about GRC! #GRCinTech #AIandCompliance #WomenInTech #InsPowerHER #DataGovernance #CareerInTech

68% of the titles on LinkedIn’s Jobs on the Rise list didn't exist 20 years ago. While that’s a mind-blowing stat, for many of us in the privacy community it’s not a surprise as we’re some of the first to have the word “privacy” in our job title.  In the span of just 20+ years an entire profession of lawyers, project managers, engineers and product managers dedicated to privacy has emerged as well as a smattering of privacy forward start-ups and companies.   With the rise of AI and the continuing growth of data driven industries, the demand for privacy professionals and privacy focused companies will only continue.     Since the passage of GDPR in 2018, we’ve seen a surge in privacy forward start-ups and jobs on our platform. Privacy engineers, data management engineers, privacy program managers, privacy lawyers and privacy ethicists. In the last five years, the number of LinkedIn members globally with the title Chief Privacy Officer increased around 35%, privacy engineer job titles grew by 40% and GDPR as a skill LinkedIn members have self-identified has grown over 30%.     This talent pool is strong, but currently small and for that reason is in extremely high demand, with a median tenure at a company of just 1.2 years. And similar to other industries, including green talent, privacy jobs are subject to a gender gap – 67% men compared to 33% women -- which is quite a shift from 20 plus years ago when many professionals were covering privacy as an add on to their primary job.    All of this frames my optimism-with-conviction for 2024 and beyond. As many of us privacy professionals celebrate International Data Privacy Day this week, keep in mind that as Generative AI and other new technologies emerge, there will be an even greater need for professionals specializing in privacy engineering, privacy law, privacy product management, data management and privacy ethics. Just as GDPR sparked new careers in privacy, the emergence and responsible growth of AI will do the same.     At LinkedIn we recognize the need to continue to foster and support this growing community of privacy professionals through courses on LinkedIn Learning and sharing privacy content through the feed and our editorial content. We look forward to seeing this industry continue to grow in 2024. Take a spin through LinkedIn Learning’s Most Popular AI courses- free until July 2024. There's some terrific content that I believe can help privacy professionals and others move from worry to optimism about what comes next. #privacy #privacylaw #privacymatters #privacyengineering #privacypros

📢 AI Governance in Action: Compliance Leaders are Built for AI Gov Roles As artificial intelligence becomes deeply embedded across enterprise functions - from customer experience to HR, finance, and product development - the need for robust governance has shifted from conceptual to critical. Regulatory scrutiny is intensifying, boards are demanding sharper oversight, and internal stakeholders are calling for transparency around risk, ethics, and accountability. For compliance professionals, this moment presents more than a challenge - it’s a strategic opportunity. AI governance isn’t a departure from your domain; it’s a natural evolution. The same capabilities that make you effective in regulatory compliance - risk fluency, policy enforcement, cross-functional coordination - are precisely what organizations now need to govern AI systems responsibly. The talent gap is real, and your skillset is already aligned with what the market demands. For context, consider this excerpt from the 2025 IAPP - Credo AI Governance Profession Report: “A significant challenge identified by [survey] respondents was access to appropriate AI governance talent and skills in the workforce. Of respondents, 23.5% said finding qualified AI professionals was part of the challenge delivering AI. Another part of the challenge is the host of skills qualified AI governance professionals need. They should, of course, understand AI but also have experience in governance, risk and compliance, and they should be able to translate legislative requirements into actionable policies, for example. While larger companies can split these tasks into several roles, smaller companies will look for AI governance professionals who can cover all these areas. Respondents indicated AI governance skills will continue to evolve alongside the development of new types of AI technologies and policies. Certain skills, such as red teaming, will be increasingly necessary.” In short, the market is currently looking for professionals who can bridge technical complexity with operational accountability. This is already a required skillset for compliance professionals. Here are ten reasons why you’re uniquely positioned to lead in AI governance (with accompanying industry insights) – followed by twelve practical tips to help you step into the role with clarity and confidence. --- You can find this second AI Governance in Action installment linked below, and you can subscribe to Legal in the Loop on Substack to stay in the loop on the latest updates. 🔗 AI Governance In Action - Compliance Leaders are Built for AI Gov Roles: https://lnkd.in/eanTysNR #aigovernance #aigovpros #compliance #responsibleai #legalintheloop

Why compliance hiring is nearing peak competitiveness, and what you can do to get ahead of the competition. If you’re trying to hire mid-level compliance managers right now, or just quality compliance professionals in general, you’ll know how tough the market is. These roles are becoming some of the hardest to fill across the region. Here’s why: - Escalating regulatory pressure. Businesses across FS in particular but also across the board are under more scrutiny than ever, but the available talent pool hasn’t caught up. - High turnover. Compliance managers don’t want to be box-tickers. When they feel undervalued, they move (and quickly). - A missing generation of talent. Post-2008 and post-Covid, fewer juniors came into compliance. Today, we feel that gap at the 5–15 years’ experience mark. What does this mean for hiring leaders? 1) Speed matters. The best candidates are gone within 2 weeks. A slow process means losing out. 2) Flexibility matters. These professionals often have young families, hybrid work or flexible hours go a long way. 3) Value matters. If compliance is positioned as “just to keep the regulator happy,” you won’t retain people. They want to make a genuine impact. This isn’t a temporary trend. The compliance talent crunch is here to stay, and businesses that adapt their hiring approach will win.

2026 is shaping up to be a breakout year for GRC & RMF. And the data backs it up. Compliance and risk roles in the U.S. are projected to keep growing, while cybersecurity aligned GRC roles are seeing double digit growth. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment for information security and risk roles is projected to grow nearly 30 percent, far faster than the average for all occupations. Financial risk and compliance roles are projected to grow around 19 percent, while overall compliance roles continue steady expansion year over year. Why this matters: Regulations are increasing, not slowing down Cyber risk is now a board level issue Government, healthcare, and finance cannot operate without compliance RMF is mandatory in federal and GovTech environments AI, cloud, and privacy laws are creating new risk categories Translation: If you enter the GRC or RMF space and build real skills, job security is built in. This isn’t a trend. It’s infrastructure. Position yourself accordingly. #GRC #RMF #CybersecurityCareers

Are you a Compliance Officer? Do you know that the Future of Compliance is evolving fast? Compliance isn’t just ticking boxes anymore. 💡 It’s about - staying relevant, - building trust, and - driving competitive edge in a world of rapid regulatory shifts and - rising digital complexity. As someone who’s spent 2 decades navigating the evolving landscape of BFSI compliance, Here’s what I can tell you: 🚨 Compliance Is Evolving – FAST. Here’s what’s reshaping the game: ✅ AI in Compliance – From predictive risk alerts to automated monitoring ✅ DPDPA, GDPR, Global Privacy – Data isn’t just protected, it’s powerful ✅ RegTech + SupTech – Smarter tools, faster decisions ✅ Cross-border obligations – Think global, act local ✅ Crypto, Fintech, Digital Lending – New models, new risks, new rules ✅ Boards now ask: “Is your compliance future-ready?” 🔑 Why should you care? 1️⃣ Regulators are sharper and faster 2️⃣ Risk now travels at digital speed 3️⃣ Talent that blends law, tech & ethics is in high demand 🔥 What Top Professionals are doing today? They’re not waiting. They’re: - Upskilling in tech, privacy & global frameworks. - Understanding compliance beyond checklists. - Leading transformation, not reacting to it. 🎯 My Advice? If you’re in BFSI, compliance is your superpower, but only if it evolves with you. 💬 Tell me in comments. What’s one trend in compliance that excites or challenges you the most? 📌 And if you're serious about growing in this space, check the first comment 👇 for tools, videos, and resources curated just for you. Let’s lead the next era of BFSI compliance — not just survive it. 💼⚡ I'm Abhishek. 😊  Founder - The Upskill School I help BFSI mid-career professionals upskill and achieve career growth.  in the “compliance domain” and "AI Ethics & Governance",  using my patented PERKS Model #Compliance #BFSI #RegTech #AIinCompliance #DPDPA #DigitalLending #Fintech #Privacy #CareerGrowth #UpskillWithAbhishek #FutureReady