Aashika Balakrishnan

About Aashika Balakrishnan

Privacy EngineerWith over 8 years of experience at global consultancies like PwC, EY, and Capgemini, I specialize in building robust privacy frameworks, enabling compliance with global privacy laws (GDPR, DPDPA, CCPA, UAE PDPL, and more), and integrating privacy-by-design into enterprise systems.I bring a hybrid expertise in regulatory compliance, IT systems, and data governance — bridging legal mandates with technical solutions. From DPIAs to third-party risk assessments, cookie audits to privacy incident response, I help organizations confidently navigate complex privacy landscapes and elevate compliance maturity.

Experience

1. Senior Associate

   PwC India

   Mar 2024 — Present

   Leading privacy engineering engagements aligned with global frameworks including GDPR, DPDPA, and ISO 27001.• Supporting clients in embedding Privacy by Design into system development lifecycles (SDLC).• Conducting Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIAs) to evaluate and mitigate privacy risks in data processing activities.• Facilitating workshops on privacy risk governance, third-party compliance, and secure design principles.• Driving cookie audits and compliance efforts for websites and applications using OneTrust tools.• Collaborating cross-functionally with engineering, legal, and risk teams to translate privacy mandates into actionable system requirements.• Developing internal privacy maturity models and compliance scorecards for strategic reporting.• Conducted Privacy Gap Assessments and regulatory alignment for organizations under GDPR, DPDPA, CCPA/CPRA, Singapore PDPA, UAE PDPL, Oman PDPL, Qatar PDPPL, and US state laws.• Led end-to-end privacy readiness assessments for large enterprises across retail and healthcare domains.• Evaluated and enhanced third-party risk management frameworks, reviewing vendor contracts and onboarding workflows.• Delivered cookie compliance audits for global e-commerce clients, recommending improvements in tracking consent.• Authored data privacy policies and SOPs, aligned with global legal frameworks and sector-specific obligations.• Supported breach response planning and data incident simulations in collaboration with cyber and legal teams.• Designed and conducted SDLC compliance workshops, advocating for privacy-preserving architectures.• Spearheaded data governance transformation for a major insurance provider, ensuring data minimization and secure processing standards

Education

• SIES Graduate School Of Technology

  Bachelor of Engineering - BE, Computer Engineering

  2012 — 2016