A new Information and Privacy Commissioner has been appointed. Speaker of the House of Assembly Derek Bennett announced the appointment of Kerry Hatfield, effective Dec. 5.

Hatfield takes over from Jackie Kavanagh, who served as acting Information and Privacy Commissioner during the search period.

Hatfield comes with extensive knowledge and experience in access and privacy issues from 20-plus years of legal practice, including 11 years providing legal strategy and advice to the Eastern Regional Health Authority. The Commissioner was made Director of Corporate Legal Services in 2022 upon the succession of NL Health Services from the previous regional health authorities. 

Hatfield has expertise in regulatory compliance in privacy, security, data governance and information management within the health care sector and broad base experience in corporate governance, contracts and procurement.

Before working in the health care sector, she was a partner in private practice at a St. John’s law firm.