A published author
Throughout her academic career, Batchelder has sat in the sweet spot of data, IT and regulation, with an undergraduate degree in accounting from Miami University, a master’s degree in accounting at Drake University, and an executive MBA from Harvard Business School.
She’s also a published author. Batchelder’s first book, Finding Family, was “accidental” and was published in 2020, during the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic.
A lot of adoptees have really tough stories
Wendy Batchelder, chief data officer, Salesforce
Adopted as an infant, Batchelder set out on a journey six years ago to find her biological parents, journaling her experience in the process. Soon, she realized she wanted to help other adoptees to have hope about their own experiences, turning her journals into a book.
“Adoption starts from some hurt and pain,” she said. “A lot of adoptees have really tough stories.”
Little did Batchelder know that she and her husband, David, would end up adopting three children, plus bringing home a string of pets. As a parent, that means playing multiple roles, including taxi driver and cheerleader mom, rooting for her kids at sporting events.
Now, she’s working on her second book on data governance, expected to publish later this year.
“I find the need to be able to help other individuals who are trying to get into the data space,” she said.
Navigating privacy and diversity challenges
Chief data officers and chief privacy officers work as “close cousins,” often providing complementary stances to each one’s responsibilities.
Salesforce’s chief privacy officer, Lindsey Finch, provides all the legal interpretation of the smorgasbord of laws and regulations the company is required to comply with. While Batchelder’s team of 30 enables the company to be compliant with those requirements.
This involves processes like “tagging of data, auto-classification, inventorying systems and policies, and making sure that the company can, in fact, comply with those regulations,” Batchelder said.
Still, navigating a patchwork of statewide privacy laws is a challenge, she added, especially for a B-to-B company like Salesforce.
“You have to be thinking about not only what you are doing to serve your customers, but what you’re doing to enable your customers to serve their customers,” she said.