Garima Kakkar

About Garima Kakkar

I started as a software engineer at PayU. ‍ Now I help engineering teams build products that are secure, private, and compliant by design. That early experience writing code taught me how engineers think about trade-offs, deadlines, and technical constraints. Today, as a Security & Privacy GRC Manager at SirionLabs, I use that foundation to translate security frameworks and compliance requirements into language that makes sense to the people actually building the product. What my day looks like: Partnering with engineering teams to design security controls for cloud environments (AWS/Azure/GCP)—from access management to encryption implementations Managing multi-framework compliance programs: ISO 27001/27018/27701, SOC 2 Type II, HIPAA, PCI-DSS, GDPR, and India\'s DPDPA Conducting security risk assessments, third-party vendor evaluations, and helping teams understand what \"secure by design\" means in practice Reviewing system architectures to identify both security and privacy implications before they become production issues Working with teams across 12+ jurisdictions to implement technical safeguards that protect data without breaking functionalityThe work I\'m proud of: Leading enterprise-wide security and compliance initiatives that reduced audit prep time while strengthening our actual security posture🤝 Achieving certifications across multiple frameworks by working with engineering teams, not against them Managing DPDPA readiness that addressed both legal requirements and underlying security controlsWhat I\'m building toward: 🤖 Automating security evidence collection and building continuous compliance monitoring tools Creating systems that make both security and privacy controls visible in real-time—not just during audit seasonWhat sets me apart: ‍ I remember what it\'s like to be on the engineering side when someone from \"security and compliance\" shows up🤝 I try to be the GRC person I would have wanted to work with as a developer Someone who understands technical constraints, helps solve problems, and offers practical security solutions instead of just pointing out risks

Experience

1. Manager - Information Security & Data Privacy

   Sirion

   Sep 2024 — Present

   Spearheading ISO 42001 (AI Management System) certification, establishing AI governance frameworkaligned with EU AI Act requirements and positioning organization for emerging regulatory landscape- Led unified GRC program integrating security, privacy, and AI compliance across multiple frameworks (ISO27001, SOC 2 Type II, GDPR, CCPA), reducing audit preparation time by 40% through standardizedcontrol mapping- Drove enterprise-wide ISMS optimization resulting in 30% cost reduction while maintaining 100%compliance across 12+ jurisdictions including India (DPDPA), US (CCPA), and EU (GDPR)- Provided strategic second-line oversight for security risk management, partnering with Product andEngineering teams to implement risk-based prioritization frameworks and security controls at scale- Influenced C-level stakeholders and board members on complex regulatory matters, translating technical requirements into business impact assessments and strategic roadmaps

Education

• NIIT UNIVERSITY

  Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech.), Computer Engineering

• B.C.M ARYA MODEL SR.SEC SCHOOL, LUDHIANA,PUNJAB, INDIA

  12th

Skills

• Event Planning
• Mysql
• Programming
• Data Structures
• Css
• Event Management
• Php
• Cascading Style Sheets (Css)
• Netbeans
• Angularjs
• Social Networking
• Time Management
• Javascript
• Electronics
• Team Leadership
• Dance
• Market Research
• Social Media Marketing
• Microsoft Excel
• Git
• Algorithms
• Team Building
• Creativity
• Public Relations
• Ruby on Rails
• Public Speaking
• Leadership
• Teamwork
• Networking
• Team Management