Data’s ethical challenges on the agenda for non-executive director training

The ethical challenges of the data revolution are to feature in a development programme for non-executive directors (NXDs), delivered by the University of Edinburgh Business School and management consultancy FWB Park Brown.

The seminar, which takes places on Thursday 17 October, is part of the series covering key issues for NXDs, which has been extended this year to include growth areas and emerging sectors.

The data revolution and increasing presence of data-driven activities raise important issues for organisations, policy, and the wider public.

Ethical issues have surfaced across a wide variety of sectors, including product innovation, health and social care, policing, and university research.

With growing debate around transparency, privacy and ethics relating to data-driven systems, organisations are establishing ethics boards, committees and other structures in response. As stakeholder expectations are increasing rapidly, ethical considerations are fast becoming crucial for NXDs.

Leading the session will be Professor Charles Raab, Director of the Centre for Research into Information, Surveillance and Privacy, and Norman Murray, Chair of Scottish Ballet and previous Chair of the Edrington Group, Petrofac, and Cairn Energy.

The expert speakers will address the challenges and opportunities for NXDs, along with practical examples and case studies for group discussions and plenary debate. This session will consider:
• What are the ethical issues of the ‘data revolution’?
• How should data-driven organisations respond to these issues?
• What is the regulatory landscape for dealing with these issues?
• Are ethical principles and codes of practice sufficient?
• How can public trust be maintained in this environment?
• What is the role of the NXD in ensuring strong ethical standards are implemented and maintained?

Other topics covered in the programme include understanding the data revolution and the fusion of new technology with financial services. Visit the University of Edinburgh Business School website for details.