KAR Global Names 25-year Legal Veteran as First Chief Privacy Officer

KAR Auction Services Inc. d/b/a KAR Global (NYSE: KAR) announces Michelle Bray, vice president of intellectual property and technology counsel, will expand her responsibilities to include the role of chief privacy officer — the first in company history. Bray assumes the added responsibility of navigating the complex and changing regulatory landscape as KAR Global leads the evolution into an even more data-driven, technology-enabled company.

“Protecting the privacy of our data and information is one of our highest priorities, and an expectation of our customers, stakeholders and board of directors,” said Chuck Coleman, senior vice president, general counsel and secretary at KAR Global. “Michelle has been instrumental to protecting KAR’s intellectual properties and fostering innovation throughout the organization. Her unique experience and skillset will help us continue to meet and exceed those expectations in the rapidly-changing data and technology landscape of our company and industry.”

Prior to taking on her expanded role as chief privacy officer, Bray has led the legal aspects of safeguarding KAR’s intellectual properties — maintaining global trademark and brand licenses, seeking patent protection for company innovations and inventions, and providing counsel on trade secret protection, global and national laws and regulations.

“As KAR continues to evolve into a more global, digital and technology-driven business, data privacy is absolutely mission-critical,” said Bray. “I look forward to working with our broad and talented data security team as well as our diverse technology and legal professionals to reinforce our strong data-privacy foundation and accelerate innovation across the growing patchwork of legal and regulatory requirements around the globe.”

Bray began her career pioneering cases involving the use of trademarks and copyrights in cyberspace during the internet boom of the mid-90s. She has worked in private practice protecting global trademark portfolios, negotiating brand and product licenses, and litigating trademark and copyright cases.

Bray was certified as a privacy expert by the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP), attaining her CIPP certification in 2012. Bray earned her undergraduate degree from Xavier University and her Doctor of Jurisprudence degree from University of Illinois at Chicago John Marshall School of Law. She completed her Master of Laws degree in transnational business practice from University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law.