Board Profiles
Please click on the link below to find out more about the purpose and role of each Commissioner.
Emma Martins: (Chief Commissioner)
Emma has worked in data protection for over 25 years. Starting her career as a data protection officer in the public sector, she moved to work in the regulatory office for Jersey, Channel Islands, in 2002.
Since then, she has been Commissioner for Jersey and, since 2018, for the Bailiwick of Guernsey where she worked with a team responsible for implementation, oversight, and adequacy assessment for the new GDPR-standard legal framework for the Islands.
Her fixed term in that role finished in December 2023. In January 2024, Emma was appointed as Chief Commissioner for the Data and Marketing Commission. She also has a small portfolio of work acting in an advisory role and is a charity trustee.
Throughout her career, Emma has been committed to driving high standards of ethical and legal data handling and encouraging more inclusive and accessible conversations around the role of data in our lives. She is a strong advocate of cultural engagement and has spearheaded a number of community-wide initiatives to support social and economic benefits that come with effective data protection.
Robert Bond: (Industry Commissioner)
Robert is a Solicitor, Notary Public, Chartered IT Professional and Compliance & Ethics Professional. Robert has over 45 years’ experience in the fields of IT, e-commerce, computer games, media and publishing, data protection, AI, information security and cyber risks.
Robert is Head of the Examination Board for the Practitioner Certificate in Data Protection, a Past President of the Board of the Society for Corporate Compliance & Ethics, Chairman of the Data Protection Network, a Director of South West Grid for Learning, Vice President of the Notaries’ Society, a founder member of the Advisory Group on the Governance of Data and AI to the United Nations, a Fellow of the Society of Advanced Legal Studies and a Companion of the British Computer Society.
Gilbert Hill (Industry Commissioner)
Gilbert is a privacy technologist, entrepreneur and speaker. He was previously CEO at Tapmydata, a VC-funded Web3 startup building wallets for data control and portability. Gilbert advises brands, boards and crypto projects on data strategy and execution as a NED, and he is a Founding Member of the Data Privacy Protocol Alliance.
After a career in Finance, as MD of a London digital agency Gilbert grew fascinated by the relationship between data, digital marketing and regulation, founding Optanon, a pioneering software product in the PrivTech sector, and Cookiepedia, knowledge base for consumer tracking on the Web. These businesses were acquired by OneTrust and he led the deal, migration of legacy clients, team and technology while establishing new operational units across Europe.
On a voluntary basis, Gilbert is Fellow and Senior Tutor on Privacy & Ethics at the Institute of Data & Marketing, and a regular contributor to events and media in the UK and internationally.
Quinton Quayle (Senior Independent Director and Independent Commissioner)
Quinton has sat on a wide range of boards, with a focus on regulation, health and the legal sector. He has chaired the Remuneration and Appointments Committees of several boards. He currently serves as Chair/Panel Member of High Speed 2’s and East West Rail’s “Need to Sell” Panels.
Quinton is a fluent Thai speaker and currently serves as Senior Adviser to Gurin Energy which is investing in renewable energy projects in Asia, including Thailand.
Prior to joining the private sector, Quinton was a member of the Diplomatic Service and served as British Ambassador to Romania and to Thailand.
Kate Staples: (Independent Commissioner)
Kate was the General Counsel & Secretary to the CAA until December 2021, holding the role for over 11 years. Kate was also a Trustee of the Air Travel Trust, of the CAA’s pension scheme, and company secretary to the CAA’s two subsidiaries: ASSI Ltd and CAA International Ltd. In February 2023 she took up the role of Director of Governance and Legal Services at the Care Quality Commission.
Before joining the CAA, Kate worked at the Dept for Transport, primarily advising on aviation matters, with a short stint in one of the railways teams. Kate did not start off as a public lawyer; in her early career she specialised in high value construction and engineering disputes at a leading City practice.
Kate enjoys the arts, travel, developing her photography skills and following the fluctuating fortunes of Liverpool FC.
