Amid growing demand for data & AI governance competencies and mounting anxieties around job security with generative AI in the mix, we recently held a career talk with NTUC's Employment and Employability Institute (e2i) to address how professionals can future-proof themselves in volatile times.
Tapping on shared experience, industry veterans in the privacy sector such as OCBC’s Group Data Protection Officer (DPO), Wijaya Abori, and PAFA Financial Advisory’s Head of Compliance, Ann Tan, took to the stage to shed light on job pathways in data protection and governance and how today’s workforce can build the right capabilities to thrive alongside AI.
From left to right: Kevin Shepherdson, Founder & CEO of Straits Interactive, Wijaya Abori, Group Data Protection Officer (DPO) of OCBC, Ann Tan, Head of Compliance of PAFA Financial Advisory and Wendy Lim, Industry Development Director of Straits Interactive
Evolving Competency Demands in Data Protection and AI Governance
In a panel discussion moderated by our Industry Development Director, Wendy Lim, Abori explained that OCBC focuses heavily on developing staff capabilities from AI literacy and data ethics to scenario-based decision-making. With technology constantly evolving, he emphasised the need for a broad skill set supported by a strong concept of trust, which remains central to how customers view data use. For him, staying “adaptable, curious and investing in one’s understanding of the technology” matters more than technical coding skills. “You don’t need to be a coder,” he said, and pressed that the human element and “discipline to act responsibly” remains essential to maintaining trust.
Building on Abori’s call for continuous professional upskilling, Ann shared how she ensures her learning leads to real-world outcomes in areas of data privacy and responsible AI adoption. Rather than collecting qualifications for the sake of it, she selects courses carefully—only those relevant to her work and aligned with organisational needs. One such course improved her policy-writing capabilities, which she immediately applied when updating a company policy following local regulatory changes. After CEO approval, the policy gained support across departments and evolved into an annual exercise and training.
On the topic of upgrading oneself for new AI-centric roles such as AI governance officers and prompt engineers, Kevin Shepherdson, our CEO & Founder, drew a clear distinction between competencies and capabilities. Since most people gain similar competencies through courses, what differentiates professionals is holistic capability—having the right combination of knowledge, skills, tools, processes, and transformation mindset.
He noted that some participants who completed generative AI courses later secured digital transformation roles, not because of technical skills but because of their domain expertise. “You don't need that particular technical knowledge,” he said, although having an “understanding of AI logic, problem-solving, user journey” still helps professionals speak with authority and strategise how to augment existing processes with AI.
It also goes without saying that ethical judgement remains essential in the quest for digital transformation. Referencing an incident on Microsoft’s news aggregation platform, Microsoft Start, where an AI-generated poll quizzed readers on a woman’s cause of death in an article, Shepherdson highlighted issues like automation bias and cognitive offloading, stressing the importance of human-in-the-loop safeguards.
Final Word for Mid-Career Switchers
For those switching careers, Shepherdson cautioned against leaping into a completely unfamiliar area. Instead, build on one’s existing industry foundation and experience, and ask how AI can add value to what one already knows.
Wijaya reinforced this point, urging attendees not to let AI “doubt your relevance.” Tools may evolve, but trust is built by humans and that cannot be replaced by algorithms. Meanwhile, Ann encouraged attendees not to fear career change and to be proactive in seeking guidance and opportunities to learn.
Driving home the imperative of human judgement amid digital transformation, Lim closed the session with a reminder that while AI grows more capable, “the ultimate responsibility for insight, judgement and ethical reasoning rests solely with us humans.”
