Divya Sridhar

Divya Sridhar, Ph.D., is the Senior Director, Data Protection Policy at SIIA. Her portfolio includes data privacy and protection policies, at the international, federal, and state level. She advocates in favor of stronger data privacy legislation, laws and regulations that harmonize meaningful consumer protections and ensures fitting business compliance, without stifling innovation. She advocates on a wide range of issues, including the need for stronger cross-border data flows to support global competitiveness, the passage of a U.S. federal privacy law, and policies that advance digital equity for marginalized communities. Her work advances the goals and needs of SIIA member companies. More recently, her focus has rested on emerging technology policy, including artificial intelligence, biometrics, and related technology that has an intrinsic data privacy impact.

In the past, Divya served as Policy Director, Digital Equity at Governor Jeb Bush’s foundation, ExcelinEd, where she focused on policies to bridge the digital divide for students and engaged in efforts to strengthen student data privacy, working with Governor’s offices, state Broadband offices, and state legislatures. Previously, Divya served as the Public Policy Advisor for Government Affairs for five years with the learning science publisher, McGraw-Hill. In this role, she developed and managed the company’s advocacy strategy relating to global, federal and state education privacy policy work. She has led efforts relating to global data protection and localization policies, such as FERPA, ESSA, HEA, CCPA, and more. Prior to her time at McGraw-Hill, she served in numerous roles in the healthcare and telemedicine industry, supporting policy and advocacy for the HITECH Act and HIPAA.

Divya earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Finance from Texas A&M University, a Master of Public Policy from the University of Texas at Dallas and a PhD in Public Policy from George Mason University. Divya lives with her husband and 6-year old daughter in the New York metro area and enjoys playing tennis, hiking and traveling in her free time.