Privacy Statement
1. Identity of the data controller
InterSearch Worldwide Limited (hereafter “InterSearch”, “we”, or “us”) is an international executive search alliance organisation, with more than 90 members in over 50 countries.
InterSearch is a company registered in England and Wales (registration number 2564872) whose registered office is at The Old Council Chambers, Halford Street, Tamworth, Staffordshire, United Kingdom.
Data protection and privacy are of a particularly high priority for us. We commit ourselves in all countries Intersearch is active in to process your personal data (hereafter your “data”) in line with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), and in accordance with applicable country-specific data protection rules.
This privacy statement (hereafter “Privacy Statement”) explains how we process your data and what rights you have in this regard
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2. What is the scope of application of this Privacy Statement?
This Privacy Statement is applicable when InterSearch is in charge of processing your personal data. This means that InterSearch acts as data controller and determines the purposes and means (or the “why” and “how” questions) for processing your data.
This Privacy Statement is applicable on any personal data that we process (collect, use, disclose, distribute, store, transfer, …) from you as a user/visitor of our public company website www.intersearch.org (hereafter the “Website”) and that could identify you as an individual.
For more information on the use of cookies on the Website, we kindly refer to our Cookie Statement, which forms an integral part of this Privacy Statement.
3. Which of your data do we process?
Hereunder we clarify which data we can process from you.
If you use the Website, we may process the following personal data from you, depending on your cookie preferences and your activities on the Website:
- identification data: a copy of your ID card (solely for the verification of your identity should this be necessary in the context of privacy related requests);
- electronical identification and user data: including your browser type and version, operating system, IP address, location data, the date and time of access to the Website, your internet service provider, interactions with the Website;
- data about your use of the Website: including how you end up on the Website, the type of device you visit the Website with, the pages you visit and how you navigate them;
- contact details and contact history: including messages sent and received (e.g. e-mails you send to the e-mail addresses of InterSearch as provided on the Website), or your e-mail address should you subscribe to our newsletter on the Website.
4. For which purposes and based upon which legal bases do we process your data?
General
We only process your data for legitimate purposes and based upon the legal bases that are listed in the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Hereunder we clarify based on which legal bases we process your data, depending on your relationship with InterSearch.
We may process your data based upon your consent. In this case, you have the right to withdraw your consent at any time.
In certain cases, the processing is based on our legitimate interests. In these cases, we carefully balanced the interests of InterSearch against your interests, to ensure we invoke this legal basis in a valid way. Where we rely on the legal basis of our legitimate interests, we refer to one of the specific interests listed below, as the case may be:
- ensuring we can offer you a secure and good functioning Website by implementing cookies on the Website that are strictly necessary for your use of the Website;
- offering you, as user of the Website, the option to contact InterSearch, when this contact request cannot be framed under an existing relationship between you and InterSearch;
- offering you the options to contact InterSearch with regard to general inquiries, media & marketing, operations & communication and technical inquiries;
- assuring the possibility of exercising or defending the interests of InterSearch in court, if we believe that our interests are being harmed and that legal action is required, or if legal action would be taken against us by a person who feels disadvantaged by us.
Specific purposes of and legal bases for processing your data
When you use the Website, InterSearch processes your data for the following purposes:
- offering you a secure and good functioning Website by implementing cookies on the Website, including to provide us with insight in the way in which you use the Website in order to make it easier to use and more appealing;
- offering you the options to subscribe to our newsletter provided by e-mail (of which you can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link provided at the bottom of each such e-mail), and to contact InterSearch with regard to general inquiries, media & marketing, operations & communication and technical inquiries;
- where relevant, for legal reasons and procedures;
- complying with our legal obligations as a company in the field of data protection.
For more detailed information on cookies, please refer to our separate Cookie Statement.
5. When and why do we transfer your data to third parties?
General
We will not transfer your data to third parties, unless this is necessary for achieving one of our aforementioned purposes, you give your consent for such transfer, or we are required to do so by law.
Where necessary we engage external service providers, so called “data processors”, to support our operational purposes such as providing our services, managing our IT systems or performing any other (internal) business processes such as the hosting of the Website. These external service providers may perform certain processing activities on your data on our behalf. We will only share your data with these external service providers to the extent necessary for the relevant purpose. The data may not be used for any other purposes by these third parties. In addition, these service providers are contractually bound to ensure the confidentiality of your data by means of a so-called “data processing agreement” concluded with these parties.
Identification of third parties to whom we may transfer your data
In concrete terms, this means that we share your data, to the extent necessary as specified below, with the following third parties for the following purposes, with these third parties acting as data processors on our behalf in certain cases:
- IT service providers assisting us in operating our international executive search alliance organisation, with the aim of efficient digital data management within our organisation, including the delivery of e-mails for the purpose of promoting the commercial activities of InterSearch, the hosting and management of the Website and our mailboxes, assisting InterSearch in understanding how you use the Website through the services offered by Google Analytics;
- governmental bodies and practitioners of regulated professions such as accountants and lawyers, in order to comply with our legal obligations as a company, and the efficient defence of our interests in the event of any legal dispute.
6. For how long do we store your data?
We do not store your data longer than is necessary for the purpose for which the data was collected.
When it is no longer necessary to process your data, we will delete or anonymize your data. If this is not (technically) possible, for example because your data is stored in backup archives, we will save your data but we will not process it further and delete it when this becomes possible.
We will always comply with specific legal requirements regarding the retention of your data, for example in the context of our accounting obligations as a company.
7. From whom do we obtain your data?
We mainly obtain your data in relation to the Website from you directly, because you choose to visit the Website.8. Where do we store your data and how do we protect it?
Your data is mainly stored externally by specialised third parties, such as the external service providers we engage for hosting the Website. We outsource part of our processing activities to third parties, who act as data processors on behalf of InterSearch (please refer to our explanation under title 6). We store your data on IT systems in the European Economic Area (EEA). The servers of the Website are located in Germany.9. What are your rights as a data subject?
In accordance with the applicable legislation, you have various rights concerning the data we process from you. These include:Rights to access and copy
You can have the right to access to your personal data and receive a copy of it.Right to rectification
You can obtain the rectification in case of inaccurate personal data that concerns you.Right to erasure (‘right to be forgotten’)
You may ask us to delete your personal data.Right to object
You can object to the processing of your personal data that is based on the legal basis of the legitimate interests of InterSearch. When we use your data for direct marketing purposes, you have an absolute right to object, regardless of the legal basis invoked.Right to restriction of the processing
You can exercise your right to restrict the processing, which means we mark your data and temporarily or permanently limit its processing for the future (for example for the time needed to verify the accuracy of your data).Right to data portability
You can also request us to directly transmit your data to another organisation.Right to lodge a complaint
You can lodge a complaint with a competent supervisory authority in the field of data protection if you do not agree with how we process your personal data. The Belgian Data Protection Authority, is the Leading Supervisory Authority for InterSearch. However, you can also lodge a complaint with the national supervisory authority of your own EEA state.Please note that exercising the aforementioned rights may be subject to certain limitations or exceptions to protect the public interest, our interests or the interests of other individuals as foreseen in the GDPR and applicable national laws and regulations.
10. What if we modify this Privacy Statement?
We can unilaterally decide to modify this Privacy Statement. The most recent version is available on our Website at any time. You can find the date on which our Privacy Statement was last modified at the top of this Privacy Statement.11. What if you have questions or concerns?
If you have questions or concerns, or if you do not agree with how we process your data, you can always contact InterSearch (privacy@intersearch.org) or its Data Protection Officer (InterSearch.dpo@degroote-deman.be).InterSearch has appointed an external Data Protection Officer (DPO). If your questions are not answered satisfactorily, or you have any questions or suggestions concerning data protection in the context of the activities of InterSearch for our DPO, you can always contact this person directly on InterSearch.dpo@degroote-deman.be.