At the core of every company’s reputation lies its privacy policies. Uber, being a global company with its base in California, complies with the most conservative privacy policies, Europe’s GDPR and California Consumer Privacy Act.
As the U.S. is headed for a patchwork of statewide privacy laws, tracking the different legislations is hard, Zefo admits. But with the support of her team, she frequently develops and updates the company’s privacy policies.
“I love the uncertainty, ambiguity, maturity and judgment that comes with this role,” she said.
A trip to Vegas and a journey into mindfulness
Daughter to a father who belonged to a poor immigrant family from a remote town in Croatia, called Janjevo, Zefo was the youngest of four sisters, whose mother instilled a sense of independence in her daughters.
“She always told us to make sure we could support ourselves without relying on anyone else,” said Zefo, whose mother eventually went to a local college in her 40s, graduated and then got her master’s at 50 before landing her first full-time job as a speech pathologist.
In the push for independence, Zefo put herself on a “terrible treadmill” for most of her career. But a divorce, a trip to Vegas trip and a journey into mindfulness changed her outlook on life.
As a mother of two and a cat-parent to two rescued tuxedo cats, Boo and Moo, divorce made Zefo realize that perfection was a myth.
On a Vegas trip with a group of professional women, Zefo watched how these women pampered themselves with massages, pedicures and expensive shoes. She realized she was making all this money but seldom spoilt herself.
And lastly, an eight-week course in Palo Alto began Zefo’s journey to mindfulness.
“I never really took care of myself until these three things happened,” she said. “The fact that it took me this long [to realize] is shocking.”
The path to privacy, for women and Uber
Zefo is enrolled in Uber’s mentorship program, mentoring women of color.
“When I was a litigator, almost all of my opponents were middle-aged white men who constantly tried to bully me,” Zefo said. “I don’t women to have the same journey that I’ve had.”