Career Biography
María Elena Arévalo
Data Protection & Regulatory Compliance Leader | Corporate Legal Strategist

María Elena Arévalo is a highly accomplished legal professional with over 20 years of experience advising multinational corporations on data protection, regulatory compliance, and corporate governance across Latin America. She is recognised for her strategic approach to legal risk management, contract negotiation, and regulatory advocacy in highly regulated industries.

As Data Protection & Legal Manager at LifeMiles LTD, María Elena leads multi-jurisdictional compliance programmes, ensuring adherence to GDPR, CCPA, and Latin American data protection laws. She has played a key role in structuring innovative digital projects, managing high-profile regulatory engagements, and influencing legislative developments that drive business growth.

Her previous leadership roles at Equifax, TACA Airlines, and British American Tobacco demonstrate a proven track record in cross-border regulatory negotiations, corporate governance, and high-stakes contract structuring. She has successfully led international data transfer agreements, overseen regulatory approvals, participated in air transport agreements, and played a pivotal role in lobbying for key legislative changes impacting the industries she serves.

María Elena holds an LL.M. in International Business Law from Katholieke Universiteit Leuven in Belgium and is a Certified International Data Protection Professional. She is an active voice in Latin American privacy law, promoting regulatory initiatives as needed and co-coordinating privacy awareness as part of the Asociación Latinoamericana de Privacidad (ALAP).

Her business-oriented legal expertise, regulatory knowledge, and leadership in data protection make her a standout practitioner in the Latin American legal market.