Sandy Ono, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer for OpenText
We had the chance to speak with Sandy Ono, the Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer for OpenText, who shared her inspiring journey with us along with her insights on the recent global survey commissioned by OpenText, methods to use to increase worker awareness of personal data protection rules, techniques for training employees to adhere to guidelines for protecting the privacy and security of data, and the steps to be taken to foster confidence among employees.
Sandy Ono is the Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer for OpenText. Sandy is responsible for driving marketing and communications worldwide, from brand to demand, to deliver growth for the company. With more than 20 years of experience as a business transformation leader in the high-tech industry, Sandy brings a passion for marketing, analytics, and leading world-class teams from strategy to execution.
In a few sentences, please describe your professional journey from your 20 years of experience in marketing and sales to helping Fortune 500 companies and top brands drive large-scale transformation projects.
I have had the fortune of working with many players in the technology and media sector in my career, and the types of large-scale transformations I have led and experienced can be summed up as fast-moving. In marketing and sales, we’ve seen everything from the acceleration of digital to everyone grappling with analytics to really redefining go-to-market post-COVID to be more human-centric to be relevant. The ultimate outcome of customer connection hasn’t changed, but the convergence of great content, digital, human touch, and technology, with now growing data regulations has driven all the transformative waves.
Is there anything, in particular, you want to share about the global survey recently commissioned by OpenText?
The timeliness of the survey is important. In today’s digital world, navigating data breaches, compliance, and customer trust, it’s critical that businesses are committed to the protection of data. We saw through the survey results that since 2020, 76% of consumers globally have new concerns about how organizations are using their personal data. Additionally, we saw that the shift to hybrid work has increased these concerns. With hybrid work here to stay, this eye-opening stat is an opportunity for businesses to fortify their protection efforts and to ensure consumers are aware of their compliance and security offerings.
What strategies should be used to raise worker awareness of personal data protection rules since the survey indicates that very few employees are aware of them?
It’s important that employees have an appreciation for data compliance and the rules by which organizations operate within. This not only deepens their awareness but aids in their own considerations around privacy and compliance. There are various opportunities for businesses to ensure their employees are aware of the data rules they follow, whether that be through employee training sessions, regular security and data-related internal communication efforts, and as part of new hire onboarding processes.
What are the various methods for training employees to adhere to guidelines for protecting the privacy and security of data on applications, email accounts, and social media platforms?
Cybercrime presents challenges in today’s modern environment and can have significant consequences. An organization’s best defense is to create a culture of cyber resilience. A company’s first line of defense against threats is its employees, so training is key. OpenText is here to protect businesses and offers employee training with its Security Awareness Training (SAT).
What steps can be taken to foster confidence among employees, the majority of whom have little confidence in businesses and other third parties’ abilities to protect their personal information?
By embracing information governance and security practices businesses are taking control of data privacy and unforeseen risks. Keeping employees regularly updated on the efforts in place to manage compliance and security will help instill a sense of confidence among employees. Where possible, sharing insight into your company’s information governance protocols or cyber resilience program, even though your new employee onboarding or training materials, helps drive that awareness on day one of an employees’ journey with your business.
