Jigisha Pardanani

With over two decades of experience in audit, compliance, and risk management, I have consistently driven transformative change in highly regulated industries like financial services and healthcare. From being a ex-Big 4 auditor to leading an enterprise privacy program as the Privacy Officer at SMBC MANUBANK, demonstrate my ability to navigate complex risk landscapes while keeping the customer at the center of it all.

What makes you a Risky Woman?

With my foundation in audit, combined with a compliance background, provide a unique blend of analytical rigor and strategic vision. This multifaceted expertise enables me to address risk in a comprehensive manner, from the granular details of compliance to the broader strokes of enterprise transformation.

This illustrates why I thrive in fast-paced and evolving environments but also represents the spirit of a Risky Woman; someone who is not only unafraid to take calculated risks but who also leverages them to drive innovation, growth, and positive change.

Name your top 3 achievements

1. Earning the designation of Fellow of Information Privacy (FIP) through the IAPP – International Association of Privacy Professionals; it involved studying for and obtaining two different privacy certifications as well as several years of privacy experience; this was a proud accomplishment for me as it is the most distinguished designation in the Privacy industry and I did it while juggling raising two kids and a demanding full-time career.
2. A career highlight for me was being recognized at Ally for LEADing the Way Award as this is the highest recognition an employee can be given at the company.
3. Founding and leading a Girl Scouts Troop at my daughter’s school so my younger daughter can have the Girl Scouts experience like my older daughter did.

What is the biggest risk you’ve taken in your career?

The biggest risk I took in my career was pivoting my career to Privacy Compliance after being in external and internal audit for almost 15 years! I owe it all to a sponsor and a Compliance executive who took a chance on me. I knew very little about Privacy but he was confident that my risk and control mindset would translate well to compliance and he was right!

What’s something most people don’t know about you?

My husband and I are huge Peloton workout fans; we got our bike the first week of Covid and now have over 2,500 Peloton workouts since we got the bike in 2020!

What is the best quality for successful leaders in Risk?

One of the best qualities for successful leaders in Risk is relationship building. Fostering strong connections with stakeholders, team members, and customers builds trust and facilitates collaboration when navigating challenges.