The Data Diva E242 - Karina Klever and Debbie Reynolds

"The Data Diva" Talks Privacy Podcast

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In episode 242 of The Data Diva Talks Privacy Podcast, host Debbie Reynolds, “The Data Diva,” welcomes Karina Klever, CEO and CISO at Klever Compliance. Karina shares her extensive career journey through IT operations, project management, and compliance leadership to demystify what effective governance really means. She challenges the outdated practice of blindly following frameworks and checklists that do not reflect a company’s actual business model or operational maturity. Karina introduces her pragmatic “Now, Next, Near, Never” methodology—a practical framework for prioritizing GRC (governance, risk, compliance) efforts based on relevance, applicability, and timing. She and Debbie unpack why so many organizations suffer from “compliance theater,” implementing policies they do not actually follow or understand. Karina explains the risks of orphaned controls, vague role descriptions, and overreliance on vendor templates that are misaligned with internal realities. She also stresses the importance of documentation, clarity in control language, and having a feedback loop for maturing compliance over time. This episode is a must-listen for organizations looking to move beyond checkbox audits and build scalable, operationally aligned governance structures that support real risk mitigation and long-term accountability.

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