Have you ever met a person who is so interesting that you can’t wait to learn more from them or hear more about their life experiences? Have you been floored by their talent, amazing sense of adventure, rockstar technical skills, or ability to accomplish more than most people do in their lifetime? Rarely do people seem to check all those boxes while making it look as if it is all so effortlessly easy.
I recently had the privilege to meet one of those people. His name is Genaro Lopez, J.D., IGP, Information Governance (IG) Lead at Google. He really does check all the boxes. If you attended Access’ recent Out of the Box Live show where we hosted Genaro as our special guest, then you know exactly what I’m talking about. If you haven’t yet seen this episode, then I highly recommend that you do…you’re in for a treat.
What is Out of the Box Live and Who is Genaro Lopez?
As a reminder, Out of the Box Live is Access’ regular online program that we host every other week. Access’ thought leaders John Isaza and Kurt Thies host the show and I help out by moderating it. We invite special guests like Genaro, who are experts in the IM and IG industry, to discuss best practices, projects they’re working on, their perspectives on the industry, smart approaches to common challenges and more.
Speaking of interesting, I think most people would find that Genaro Lopez is a fascinating person. For starters, how many information governance experts do you know who have earned their law degree, served as a clerk for Judge Nakumura in California Superior Court, went to Sweden to complete graduate work on the impact of reindeer grazing habits on tundra plant communities, and can claim to be an actual Jeopardy show Champion? Right. I know…only after meeting Genaro can I name one myself.
The Key to Starting Information Governance Programs
But there is so much more to Genaro Lopez’s story. You have to hear this guy explain what it’s like to lead an IG initiative at an all-digital environment like Google. He is a natural storyteller. And Genaro is certainly no stranger to governing and managing information in digital organizations. Not only is he the driving force behind the development of the information governance (IG) program at Google, but he previously worked at Nike where he developed and launched the company’s first enterprise contract management (ECM) and IG programs.
During his guest appearance on our recent episode of Out of the Box Live, Genaro discussed his approach to starting IG programs, what information governance means to him, and what makes his job so interesting. He also offers tips on how to:
- Start or grow an IG practice based on organizational needs
- Set up repeatable processes, and…
- Build organizational IG structures and frameworks
And finally, to round out this episode, Genaro shares what he considers the 5 key parts of an information governance strategy. He starts with very sage advice – be sure to get executive stakeholder buy-in for your initiative. Watch this short teaser clip to hear the rest:
To hear all of Genaro’s advice as well as his unique perspectives on IG, view this episode in its entirety on-demand: Out of the Box Live: IG Strategies for Digital Companies
