Karen Schuler

Karen is the BDO Principal who leads the U.S. and Global Privacy & Data Protection business line. Over the last 30 years, she built and managed organizations that offer investigations and data protection services and products. Karen has testified in deposition, arbitration, and federal, state, and local courts throughout the U.S. and assists her clients with negotiating privacy and data protection fines. 

She currently serves as the DPO (Data Protection Officer) for Global 100 and high-profile global organizations across several industries. As DPO, Karen collaborates with the client, Counsel, and Data Protection Authorities to resolve inquiries, investigations, and complaints. 

Her BDO team developed the first privacy managed services offering (Data Protection Managed Services), a full-service outsourced privacy program to Global 1000 companies. They also founded the BDO Data Protection Academy, which trains privacy, legal, security, and technical professionals in over 100 countries. 

Under her direction the team advises Global 500 and mid-market companies about the importance of implementing privacy and data protection at the onset of design, investigates data leaks and mishandling of personal data, manages 24x7 data subject request contact centers, and implements and administers an array of privacy technologies.  

As founder of one of the first digital forensics consulting firms in the ’90s, Karen became a thought leader and testifying expert in the areas of digital forensics and e-discovery where she investigated theft of trade secrets and intellectual property, and white-collar crimes. Before BDO, she held senior-level consulting and board positions and worked as a Senior Forensic Examiner for the United States Securities &Exchange Commission (SEC) and investigated some of the most significant data breaches impacting millions of consumers.

Karen has won the following awards:

• Lexology WWL, Digital & Data - Digital Forensic Experts – USA, Profile, 2024
• The Consulting Report, The Top 50 Cybersecurity Consultants and Leaders of 2023