From zero to IPO-ready: Building a global privacy program from scratch for a global logistics leader

When a global logistics leader began preparing its initial public offering, it had no formal data privacy program. Over a two-year engagement, we designed and built a governed, documented, and scalable privacy operation, delivered in time for a successful IPO.

Client Context

Our client is a global leader in warehousing and logistics, operating across multiple continents. The company takes a technology-forward approach that includes AI-powered warehouse optimization, generating and processing significant volumes of data across employees and partners.

The Challenge

A fast-growing logistics leader needed a privacy program that matched its ambition

When the organization began preparing its initial public offering, a critical gap became apparent: the company had no formal data privacy program. There were no documented policies, no governance structure, no assessment framework, and limited visibility into where personal data lived or how it moved through the organization. The legal team had been handling privacy ad hoc, while regional marketing and legal staff brought base-level knowledge of privacy laws, but little sense of what implementation looked like on the ground.

With European operations subject to GDPR and the regulatory landscape continuing to evolve, the company needed a partner who could help design and build a structured program, one that provided real governance, worked within a defined budget, and positioned the internal team to own and operate it going forward.

Our Approach

Building the program together, with the client’s team at the center

We started with a comprehensive privacy assessment to understand the current state of data practices, identify gaps, and build a prioritized roadmap. From the outset, our approach was collaborative. We worked alongside stakeholders across eight departments, translating regulatory requirements into clear, business-relevant language and building shared understanding of why a structured privacy program would benefit every part of the organization.

Together with the client, we established the foundational elements of a global privacy program: a formal privacy charter defining roles and responsibilities, a cross-functional steering committee that created a dedicated forum for data governance topics, and documented processes that gave the organization greater visibility into its data practices for the first time.

We leveraged project management tools to maintain rigorous tracking and provided regular progress updates to leadership. The steering committee proved especially valuable as the company continued to adopt new technologies that required thoughtful evaluation. We completed dozens of Data Protection Impact Assessments during the engagement, including one for biometric identification technology, a high-sensitivity use case that required careful analysis under GDPR.

The engagement lasted two years, led by a senior manager and a senior consultant. Working within a defined budget, we partnered closely with the client to prioritize deliverables strategically, focusing first on the areas of greatest sensitivity and impact. Records of Processing Activities for the most critical data, the DPIA program, and a comprehensive risk register formed the core of the initial build, with a clear roadmap for continued maturation.

Results

From zero to a self-sustaining privacy program, and a successful IPO

What made this engagement successful was not just what we built, it was how we built it. By serving as the voice of privacy inside an organization that had never had one, we translated a complex regulatory landscape into a practical, prioritized program that leaders could understand and champions could sustain. The company went from ad hoc legal coverage and zero program infrastructure to a governed, documented, and scalable privacy operation, delivered in time for a successful IPO.