HomeThe Advisor

Privicy Advisory Services

Rishi Maharaj

Data Protection Officer & AI Governance Advisor · San Juan, Trinidad & Tobago

CIPM CIPP/E AI Governance Architect MSc Government, UWI

The Advisor

Fifteen years at the intersection of governance, law, and accountability.

Rishi Maharaj is the founder and principal advisor of Privicy Advisory Services. His practice spans data protection law, AI governance, and the ethics and human rights dimensions of emerging technology — with a focus on the Caribbean region that is unmatched in depth and jurisdictional specificity.

Before founding Privicy, Rishi spent over a decade inside public sector governance — including as project lead on the drafting and final passage of the Data Protection Act of Trinidad and Tobago, and as a contributor to the ITU HIPCAR Project, which developed model data protection and freedom of information legislation for the Caribbean region. He also co-led the design and implementation of TTConnect, one of the region's most ambitious e-government service delivery initiatives.

That foundation — policy authorship, institutional governance, and deep regional context — is what distinguishes this practice from consultancies that apply international frameworks without understanding the Caribbean environment they are applied in.

Today, Rishi serves as External Group DPO to major Caribbean financial and insurance conglomerates, advises boards on AI governance and compliance architecture, and writes and speaks on Caribbean data protection law and responsible AI.

Rishi Maharaj is one of the first Caribbean practitioners to hold the AI Governance Architect designation.

Professional Credentials
  • CIPM — Certified Information Privacy Manager International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP). Privacy programme management, accountability frameworks, and operational governance.
  • CIPP/E — Certified Information Privacy Professional (Europe) IAPP. European privacy law and GDPR — the global benchmark against which Caribbean legislation is increasingly interpreted.
  • AI Governance Architect Specialist credential in responsible AI deployment and algorithmic accountability. One of the first in the Caribbean to hold this designation.
Academic
  • MSc Government — University of the West Indies Political science foundation informing the practice's approach to governance, institutional design, and public accountability.
  • BSc Government — University of the West Indies
Contact

Areas of Focus

The disciplines this practice is built around.

Caribbean Data Protection Law

Jurisdiction-specific advisory across T&T, Jamaica, Barbados, Cayman Islands, Bermuda, and the wider OECS — grounded in the legislative history of each framework and the enforcement culture developing around them.

AI Governance & Accountability

Governance frameworks, third-party AI assessments, and board advisory aligned to NIST AI RMF, ISO 42001, and OECD AI Principles — applied to the Caribbean institutional and regulatory context.

AI Ethics & Human Rights

Human rights impact assessments, responsible AI advisory, and ethics frameworks for organisations whose technology decisions carry public accountability implications.

Recent Writing

Insights & Analysis

Jamaica · Data Protection

What Jamaica's Data Protection Act Actually Requires — And Where Most Organisations Are Still Falling Short

May 2026
View all insights →

Work With Rishi

"When you engage Privicy, you speak directly with the advisor."

Schedule a free 30-minute consultation. Most engagements begin with a scoping conversation at no cost — we will tell you what you need before we tell you what it costs.

Schedule a Free Consultation