Governing Board | eDiscovery Certification Council

Independent oversight with a long-term professional perspective

The Governing Board provides strategic direction and oversight for the eDiscovery Certification Council, helping ensure that its certifications, professional resources and wider activities remain credible, relevant and aligned with the needs of professionals and organisations operating in complex digital environments.

The Board supports the Council’s development as an independent and vendor-neutral professional organisation. Its role extends beyond certification oversight to include stewardship of professional standards, governance, organisational direction and the continued development of the Council’s contribution to the wider eDiscovery ecosystem.

In carrying out this role, the Board considers developments across eDiscovery, eDisclosure, digital evidence, eForensics, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, data protection, information governance, legal technology, investigations and regulatory compliance.

How the Governing Board supports the Council

The Board provides oversight across the areas that most directly affect the credibility, relevance and long-term development of the eDiscovery Certification Council.

Strategic Direction

Setting long-term priorities and ensuring the Council develops in response to changes in business, law, technology, regulation and professional practice.

Certification Integrity

Supporting the independence, quality and professional credibility of certification pathways and the standards underpinning them.

Professional Standards

Promoting high standards of competence, ethics, judgement and professional practice across eDiscovery and related disciplines.

Governance & Risk

Providing oversight of organisational governance, material risks, responsible decision-making and the Council’s wider professional responsibilities.

Industry Relevance

Helping ensure that the Council’s work reflects contemporary challenges including AI, cloud data, privacy, digital evidence and changing legal workflows.

International Perspective

Encouraging standards and professional knowledge that are useful across organisations, technologies and jurisdictions rather than tied to one platform or market.

Leadership grounded in business, governance and professional practice

The Governing Board brings strategic, commercial and professional experience to the Council’s leadership and long-term development.

Richard Nwanze

Chairman of the Governing Board

Business Strategy Consultancy Governance Risk eDiscovery Cybersecurity

Richard Nwanze is an experienced business leader, consultant and strategic adviser with more than 35 years of professional experience spanning technology, governance, risk, cybersecurity, data protection, eDiscovery and eDisclosure.

Throughout his career, Richard has worked at the intersection of business strategy, technology and organisational risk, advising organisations on complex operational, regulatory and information-management challenges. His experience encompasses strategic consultancy, business development, IT governance, cybersecurity, data protection, risk management, digital investigations, eDiscovery and eDisclosure.

A significant part of his work has focused on helping organisations translate complex technical and regulatory requirements into practical business strategies and workable solutions. This includes strengthening governance and security frameworks, identifying and managing operational and information risks, protecting sensitive and business-critical data, and developing proportionate approaches to regulatory compliance.

Richard’s consultancy experience has given him a strong understanding of the commercial realities organisations face when implementing governance, technology and compliance programmes. His approach places particular emphasis on balancing risk, regulatory obligations, operational effectiveness, cost and wider business objectives, rather than treating compliance or technology as isolated functions.

His extensive involvement in eDiscovery and eDisclosure has also provided insight into the challenges organisations face when managing electronically stored information across litigation, regulatory investigations, internal investigations and other legal or compliance matters. This experience contributes to his broader interest in improving professional standards and encouraging greater integration between legal, technology, information governance and business functions.

As Chairman of the Governing Board of the eDiscovery Certification Council, Richard provides strategic leadership and helps shape the Council’s long-term direction. His focus is on developing the Council as an internationally relevant professional organisation that combines rigorous standards with practical knowledge applicable to real-world business environments.

He is particularly committed to ensuring that the Council’s work reflects developments in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, data privacy, digital evidence, information governance, legal technology and regulatory compliance, while maintaining eDiscovery and eDisclosure as central areas of professional expertise.

Protecting the credibility of professional certification

Certification has value only when professionals, employers and organisations can have confidence in the standards behind it.

Independent and Vendor-Neutral

The Council’s certification philosophy is based on transferable professional knowledge and principles rather than dependence on a particular software product, vendor or commercial platform.

Relevant Professional Knowledge

Certification content should reflect real professional responsibilities and evolve as technology, regulation, data sources and working practices change.

Assessment Credibility

The Board supports appropriate controls and governance around certification standards, assessment quality and the consistent application of certification requirements.

Continuous Development

The Council reviews emerging developments and changing professional requirements to help keep its certification pathways relevant to the modern eDiscovery environment.

Supporting responsible professional practice

The Governing Board supports professional standards that combine technical capability with judgement, integrity, proportionate decision-making and an understanding of wider organisational responsibilities.

Modern eDiscovery professionals increasingly operate across legal, technical, commercial, regulatory and information-governance boundaries. Professional competence therefore requires more than knowledge of individual tools. It requires an understanding of process, evidence, risk, defensibility, privacy, security and the business context in which decisions are made.

The Council seeks to encourage this broader professional perspective through its certifications, knowledge resources, professional development activities and engagement with the wider eDiscovery community.

Governance that supports trust

The eDiscovery Certification Council recognises that trust depends on clear standards, responsible governance and appropriate accountability. The Governing Board therefore supports transparent decision-making, responsible stewardship and the continuous review of the Council’s professional priorities.

As the eDiscovery landscape continues to evolve, the Board’s role is to help ensure that the Council remains focused on its core purpose: advancing independent professional knowledge, strengthening recognised capability and contributing positively to the development of the profession.

eDiscovery Certification Council Governing Board