Owen Rowland is the Deputy Director, Head of Data Protection Policy in Department for Science, Innovation and Technology. His key responsibilities include: passage and implementation of the Data Protection and Digital Information Bill; further development of the UK data protection regime; and sponsorship of the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO).
Previously, in the Strategic Centre for Organised Crime in the Home Office, he was responsible for Economic (fraud, bribery and corruption, money laundering, asset recovery) and Cyber Crime.
Owen’s other roles over 30 years within Whitehall and the European Commission were comprised of a range of crime, policing and security posts, including:
• Led Design of the National Crime Agency;
• Head of Drug Strategy;
• Secretary to the Chilcot Review of Use of Intercept Material as Evidence;
• Established the first UK civil Counter-Terrorism Science and Innovation Programme; and
• Lead European Commission accession negotiations on Justice and Home Affairs with Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.