Background – Mikiyas began his privacy career at OneTrust, working with a wide range of enterprise clients to implement privacy solutions and maintain compliance with regulations such as GDPR and CCPA. He later moved in-house at GEICO as a Privacy Specialist II, where he became the subject matter expert for all things OneTrust. Mikiyas focused on refining the DSAR process to improve efficiency and meet new CPRA requirements. During his time at GEICO, he got firsthand experience collaborating with different teams to keep privacy operations running smoothly.
Most recently, Mikiyas was at GM Financial (General Motors subsidiary) where he led the rollout of the OneTrust PIA automation tool for the entire organization. This role gave him the opportunity to work closely with various business units, helping them navigate privacy impact assessments and making sure their projects were aligned with privacy requirements. Through these experiences, he has built a solid foundation for how businesses run their privacy operations and how OneTrust privacy solutions can help streamline their operations.
Experience, Skills, and Expertise – Mikiyas specializes in the implementation of OneTrust privacy solutions and in-house privacy operations. He has hands-on experience with key OneTrust modules, including Data Mapping, PIA/DPIA Automation, and DSAR. He has worked on automating privacy processes, designing scalable workflows, and partnering with Legal, Procurement, and Cybersecurity teams to manage privacy risks. Beyond the technical aspects, Mikiyas enjoys working with business teams to help them understand privacy requirements and make the process as smooth as possible.
Certifications and Education – Mikiyas is a Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP/E) through the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP) and has earned OneTrust expert certifications in Data Mapping, PIA/DPIA Automation, and DSAR. Mikiyas holds a Bachelor’s degree in Finance from the University of Georgia.
