Christina Tueje, one of our esteemed Judges asked Joao Barreiro a few questions about his dedication to the PICCASO community and his accomplishments since receiving the PICCASO award.

Giving Back, Moving Forward, Reinvention

Joao is the Chief Privacy and Data Ethics Officer at BeOne Medicines and won the PICCASO award for Privacy Executive of the Year in 2022.

The PICCASO recognition prompted him to reflect on his career (spanning almost two decades) - when he realised that future progress required reinvention.

Moving from Chief Privacy Officer to his current role, Joao strategically broadened his leadership, making his team the hub for digital risk, privacy, cybersecurity, compliance, and AI regulation. They now enable responsible digital leadership and embed ethics in innovation.

Ethics Over Ego
The PICCASO Award gave Joao more than recognition. It quieted self-doubt and reinforced his trust in his abilities.
It reminded him to lead with confidence, values, integrity and humility. At BeOne Medicines, Joao has championed privacy not just as compliance function, but as a core ethical and strategic value.
He leads the implementation of a global data ethics framework, bringing together ethics, strategy, and real-world impact.

Elevating the Conversation
The award opened doors to wider audiences and elevated privacy within corporate responsibility and digital strategy discussions.
Joao’s involvement with advisory boards - like the IAPP, UK Government’s International Data Transfers Expert Council, and the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority. However, recognition from PICCASO, extended his voice beyond privacy circles.
A highlight was speaking at the Wall Street Journal’s Chief Compliance Officer Council Summit, underscoring privacy’s vital role in modern organizational leadership.

Giving Back, Lifting Up
Joao is committed to mentoring future nominees. He values the privacy community’s spirit of collaboration and is dedicated to supporting others -whether by sharing insights, offering guidance, or encouraging peers to trust their own abilities.

You won Privacy Executive of the Year in 2022. What do you think set your work apart?
Joao: I think what made a difference was how I’ve always approached privacy, not just as a legal requirement but as something deeply ethical and strategic. At Be One Medicines, health data is at the core of what we do. Since I joined the company, I focused on helping the organization see privacy as more than compliance, as something that builds trust, drives innovation, and ultimately strengthens the business.

We moved from the traditional “tick-the-box” mindset to one where privacy is seen as a business enabler. That shift, especially in how our teams understand and value transparency with patients and research participants, has had a real impact on how we operate. It’s also sparked broader work, like the development of a global data ethics framework, which we’re now leading across the company.

What has changed for you or your team since winning the PICCASO Award? Has the recognition helped amplify your work or message in any way?
Joao: Winning the PICCASO Privacy Executive of the Year Award was a defining moment in my career. It sparked a very personal and necessary pause. After almost two decades working in privacy fulltime at a global level, I found myself asking: What’s next? How do I grow from here? And what kind of leadership is needed in the face of this tsunami of digital laws?

That internal reflection led to a shift in both mindset and role. I moved from serving as Chief Privacy Officer at Be One Medicines to a newly defined position as Chief Privacy and Data Ethics Officer at the same company, which came with a broader mandate. Today, my team serves as the central hub within Legal and Compliance for everything related to digital risk, including privacy, information governance, cybersecurity, and the increasingly complex ecosystem of digital and AI-related laws.

What has changed most is the nature of the work and the expectations that come with it. We’re no longer just ensuring compliance. We’re helping shape organizational strategy, participating in product design discussions, and collaborating closely with ESG, engineering, and security teams to embed responsible data practices from the ground up.

There is a growing recognition that privacy cannot be siloed. It needs to be integrated into how organizations think about innovation, reputation, and trust. That means privacy professionals have had to evolve into cross-functional leaders who can speak the language of law, technology, ethics, and business.

For my team, this evolution has brought a new kind of energy and clarity. We’re not just reacting to privacy risks. We’re helping define what responsible digital leadership looks like across the organization. That shift from compliance advisors to strategic enablers has been the most meaningful change since the award. And it truly feels like just the beginning.

In what ways has this recognition shaped your professional identity or confidence?
Joao: The recognition was a meaningful moment, both professionally and personally. What made it particularly impactful was that it came from independent, respected experts in the privacy and digital governance community. That kind of external validation carries weight, especially in a field that is evolving so quickly. It offered a moment of pause and reassurance that the work I’ve been doing over nearly two decades is not only relevant but trusted.

As privacy has become more prominent, it has drawn in many new voices, which is a positive sign of growth. But with that has come a certain level of noise, and not everyone presenting themselves as an expert brings the depth or accountability the role requires. In that context, it’s easy, even after all these years, to sometimes question your place in the conversation.

Imposter syndrome isn’t something you grow out of with experience. It can surface even when you’ve been in the field for a long time, especially when you’re operating at the intersection of emerging technologies, shifting laws, and organizational change. For me, the award helped quiet some of that internal doubt. It reminded me to trust in the work, to stay grounded in my values, and to continue leading with both confidence and humility.

More than anything, it reinforced the importance of showing up with integrity, especially as the field continues to evolve.

Have you received invitations to speak, mentor, or contribute to policy discussions because of receiving the PICCASO award?
Joao: I’ve been fortunate to be active in speaking engagements and advisory roles since early in my career, maybe because there were not many professionals working fulltime in privacy when I started my career. Over the years, I’ve contributed to a number of public and professional initiatives, including serving on the IAPP Research and European Advisory Boards, the UK Government’s International Data Transfers Expert Council, and as a Consultative Expert on Digital Ethics at the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority.

That said, the PICCASO award did elevate my profile in a noticeable way. What changed is that it captured the attention of audiences beyond the traditional privacy and data protection community. For example, I was recently invited to speak at the Wall Street Journal’s Chief Compliance Officer Council Summit in London, a platform that brings together a very restrict number of senior leaders across compliance, risk, and governance functions. It is encouraging to see privacy increasingly recognized as an essential part of broader conversations about corporate responsibility and digital strategy. The award helped open doors to exactly those kinds of interdisciplinary discussions.

Would you be open to mentoring future award applicants or nominees?
Joao: Absolutely. I would be honoured to mentor future award applicants or nominees. One of the things that has always set the privacy community apart from other professional circles is its uniquely collaborative spirit. There is a real sense of shared purpose, whether it’s navigating complex laws, advancing ethical practices, or simply supporting one another.