Meet Janet Guevara: Safeguarding careers in the digital age with Privacy Management

A career in privacy management has never been more relevant and rewarding. Whether you’re looking to expand your skill set or explore new career opportunities, learning the fundamentals of privacy management will open doors for success.

Janet Guevara is an instructor in the Privacy Management program at McMaster Continuing Education and a seasoned professional with more than 15 years of experience in access and privacy. She is a recognized expert in health privacy law, health research, digital technologies, risk management and data governance. Janet’s experience spans across various sectors and has provided leadership and guidance on assessing and developing privacy programs. As a collaborative leader, she is passionate about providing both strategic and practical guidance to leaders on understanding privacy risks. Janet has also been a longstanding member of a research ethics board with a focus on privacy and research. She earned her Master of Arts in Political Science and is a certified privacy professional.

What made you want to become an instructor with McMaster Continuing Education?

As a privacy professional, I have spent many years teaching staff, administrators, and various roles within an organization about best practice standards. I am passionate about educating others on the importance of using data in a privacy-protective manner and incorporating it as part of their day-to-day functions. As a former English teacher in Japan, I enjoyed the connections I made with my students. I learned about their diverse needs and equally felt the reward of positively impacting their student journey. I enjoy teaching the McMaster Continuing Education program as it’s important for me to share the knowledge and experience that I have learned in healthcare privacy over the years.

What are the courses you teach and what are they about?

I teach the Foundations of Privacy and the Privacy Program Development courses. I think Foundations of Privacy is a foundational course to take to understand and learn about the regulatory requirements in privacy laws in Canada. In today’s increasingly digital world, developing privacy protective measures to support the flow of information is critical to the success of many organizations. This course will help to demonstrate an individual’s expertise in Canadian privacy laws.

Who would benefit from taking this program?

Individuals from various roles would benefit from taking this program including clinicians, administrators, government and policy advisors, healthcare risk managers, information privacy and security officers. This program provides a foundational understanding that you will need to understand the challenging area of privacy law.

What will students learn from taking the Privacy Management program at McMaster Continuing Education?

Students will learn the foundations of confidentiality, privacy and security through an examination of privacy principles, information and data governance in Canada. This program provides a practical approach to operationalizing privacy practices in day-to-day operations.

Do you have any advice or tips for students?

It’s important to keep learning and stay abreast of all the changes that we are seeing in the regulatory landscape in privacy laws across Canada. It’s an exciting time to learn as digital technologies develop and the demand for privacy professionals continues to grow.

­­­Learn more about the McMaster Continuing Education Privacy Management program and courses.