Vanessa Thomas

Vanessa Thomas, Ph.D., CIPT, is an accomplished professional specializing in innovation, technology, and privacy engineering. Currently serving as a Privacy Engineer at Apple, Vanessa plays a key role in the User Privacy team, conducting reviews of features, auditing products, and identifying emerging privacy threats. Previous experience includes positions as a Senior Research Associate at The Conference Board of Canada, where responsibilities encompassed co-chairing conferences and conducting research on emerging technologies, and as a DCI Associate Research Fellow at the University of Toronto, contributing to significant research work. Vanessa has also held various teaching roles at institutions such as Carleton University and Algonquin College, developed human-computer interaction courses, and led technology research initiatives in the Government of Canada. With a strong academic foundation that includes a Ph.D. in Digital Innovation from Lancaster University, Vanessa's expertise extends across research, teaching, and practical applications of human-centered design and privacy technologies.