Chris Kelly
Chris Kelly is a former Facebook Chief Privacy Officer, General Counsel and Head of Global Public Policy who advises organisations on technology governance, privacy, public policy and digital risk.
- Served as Facebook’s Chief Privacy Officer, first General Counsel and Head of Global Public Policy during its early global expansion.
- Helped establish Facebook’s legal, privacy and policy functions.
- Ran for the Democratic nomination for Attorney General of California, finishing third in a statewide primary.
- Investor and board leader across technology and media businesses, including chair roles at Fandor and MoviePass.
- Member of the Sacramento Kings ownership group and executive board participant.
- Educated at Georgetown University, Yale University and Harvard Law School.
Full Profile
Key speaking topics
- Technology governance and regulation
- Data privacy and consumer protection
- Digital public policy
- Platform safety and accountability
- Legal risk in high-growth technology companies
- State and federal regulatory environments
Ideal for
- Executive leadership teams in technology-driven organisations
- Legal, compliance and risk professionals
- Public policy and government affairs leaders
- Boards overseeing digital transformation and data strategy
Audience outcomes
- Clear understanding of how major technology platforms structure privacy and policy functions
- Insight into the intersection of regulation, innovation and growth
- Practical perspective on managing legal and reputational risk at scale
- Greater clarity on engaging with policymakers and regulatory bodies
Why organisations work with Chris Kelly
- Direct experience building governance frameworks inside a global technology company.
- First-hand insight into privacy, regulation and public policy at scale.
- Board-level perspective across technology, media and sports organisations.
- Combines legal expertise, public policy experience and investment insight in a commercially relevant context.
Biography
Chris Kelly brings first-hand experience of building privacy, legal and public policy frameworks inside one of the world’s most influential technology companies. As Facebook’s Chief Privacy Officer, first General Counsel and Head of Global Public Policy, he helped establish the governance structures, safety principles and regulatory engagement strategies that supported the company’s rapid global growth.
His work placed him at the centre of complex questions around data privacy, consumer protection and the relationship between innovation and regulation. He contributed to the development of social networking safety principles in collaboration with state attorneys general, shaping how emerging digital platforms engaged with policymakers and addressed public scrutiny.
Beyond his executive career, Chris has operated at board and investor level across technology and media businesses, including leadership roles connected to Fandor and MoviePass. He is also part of the Sacramento Kings ownership group and has served in an executive board capacity, bringing governance insight from both high-growth ventures and established organisations.
Earlier in his legal career, he worked in private practice and represented Netscape in litigation related to the Microsoft antitrust case, as well as Diamond Multimedia in litigation concerning early MP3 player technology. This foundation in complex technology litigation informs his practical perspective on regulatory risk and competitive markets.
Chris ran for the Democratic nomination for Attorney General of California, adding direct electoral and public policy experience to his corporate background. He holds degrees from Georgetown University, Yale University and Harvard Law School.
For senior leaders and boards navigating digital risk, regulatory scrutiny and stakeholder expectations, Chris offers grounded insight into how technology companies structure governance, engage with regulators and balance growth with accountability.
Talks
An exploration of how organisations and individuals can balance personal privacy with user protection in an online environment where anonymity and identity verification often conflict.
Key takeaways:
- Insight into the trade-offs between online privacy and verified digital identity
- Understanding of the principles behind social networking safety safeguards
- Perspective on how privacy, security and user protection may evolve in the digital world
A first-hand account of Facebook’s transition from early-stage startup to global corporation, and the leadership, legal and cultural challenges involved in scaling rapidly.
Key takeaways:
- Lessons on scaling from startup to large-scale organisation
- Insight into managing intergenerational teams in high-growth environments
- Perspective on the operational and leadership challenges of rapid expansion
An insider view of what drives startup success and failure, drawing on experience working with and alongside major technology companies.
Key takeaways:
- Practical insight into how ideas develop from concept to scalable venture
- Observations from working with companies such as Netscape, Microsoft and Facebook
- Factors that influence why some ventures succeed while others do not
A forward-looking examination of how technology is reshaping behaviour, belief systems and business models, informed by experience as an entrepreneur and investor.
Key takeaways:
- Insight into emerging ideas shaping the next phase of digital innovation
- Perspective on how technological change affects society and organisations
- An informed view of where technology and the digital economy are heading