Holly Mills

About

I am a senior data policy and privacy leader with extensive experience designing and delivering international data and AI strategies and policies, privacy frameworks, and online safety initiatives across government and law enforcement sectors. My career spans roles at the UK Civil Service (Department for Science, Innovation & Technology (DSIT) and Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS)) and law enforcement sectors, where I led cross-border data transfer projects, GDPR implementation work, international negotiations, data policy development, and large-scale stakeholder engagement programmes. I hold the Certified Information Privacy Professional Europe (CIPP/E) qualification and specialise in building trusted data environments, embedding privacy by design, and leading multi-disciplinary teams through complex regulatory and cultural change. I am passionate about delivering strategic, risk-conscious data initiatives that drive compliance, protect individuals, and unlock innovation.

Experience

• Head of Data Strategy and Governance at Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
  Jul 2026 - Present · 1 mo

• Data Strategy and Policy Lead at UK Civil Service
  Jul 2024 - Jul 2026 · 2 yrs 1 mo

  On Secondment working as a Data Strategy and Policy Lead for law enforcement, responsible for delivering a national data strategy, strategising future data governance initiatives, delivering a national Data Maturity Assessment, and leading on the development of both AI and data policy and ensuring regulatory compliance

• Head of International Data Transfer Tools at Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
  Feb 2023 - Jun 2026 · 3 yrs 5 mos

  Leading the development and implementation of new UK data transfer tools, and managing multidisciplinary Teams. I led on the development of the Department’s international data transfers strategy, and led on the development of transfer risk assessments and international data transfers mechanisms

• Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) (2 yrs 11 mos)
  • Head of International Data Transfer Tools
    Jan 2022 - Feb 2023 · 1 yr 2 mos

    Leading the development and implementation of new UK data transfer tools

  • Senior Policy Advisor, International Data Transfers
    Jul 2021 - Jan 2022 · 7 mos

    Leading on the development of international policy for data transfer tools for the UK government

  • Strategy Advisor & Secretariat, EU Data Adequacy
    Apr 2020 - Jul 2021 · 1 yr 4 mos

    Led on the strategy for UK data adequacy and EU negotiations, and was Secretariat for large scale international negotiations on data policy

• Education and Engagement Officer, Online harms (CEOP) at National Crime Agency (NCA)
  Oct 2018 - Mar 2020 · 1 yr 6 mos

  Delivered online safety and privacy education initiatives and international engagement for the Child Exploitation Online Protection unit at the NCA