Our Privacy Policy

Last Revised: October 01, 2025

1. Introduction

Welcome to the Forttuna Council (the “Council”, “we”, “us”, or “our”). This Privacy Policy describes how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard personal information when you visit https://council.forttuna.com, submit a membership or speaker application, pay membership or event fees, participate in council discussions, or otherwise engage with our Councils-style membership services.

This policy is written for a Councils-style membership platform (similar in purpose to other professional council services) and is intended to comply with applicable international data protection and privacy laws.

2. Data Controller and Contact Details

Forttuna Group (Council Division)

Address: Burj Al Salam, Trade Center 1, Dubai, UAE (Dubai / Global Offices)

Email: privacy@forttuna.com

If you are located in the EU/EEA, UK, Canada, Brazil, or other regulated regions, we act as the Data Controller for your personal data for the purposes described here.

3. What Personal Data We Collect

We may collect the following categories of information from applicants, members, visitors, and other users:

a) Identity Data

* Full name
* Job title and role
* Company / Organization name
* Country and city
* Professional biography or headline

b) Contact Data

* Email address
* Phone number
* Social media handles and professional profile links (e.g., LinkedIn)

c) Payment Data

* Cardholder name
* Billing address
* Partial card details - we do not store full card numbers or CVV codes; payments are processed through PCI DSS-compliant third-party providers (e.g., Stripe, PayPal, Razorpay).

d) Membership & Council Data

* Membership or speaker application responses
* Member directory details and profile information
* Contributions to discussions, questionnaires, surveys, and event submissions

e) Technical Data

* IP address
* Browser type and version
* Operating system and device type
* Site interaction logs, cookies, and tracking data

f) Marketing Data

Newsletter opt-ins and communication preferences

g) Sensitive Data

Only if voluntarily provided (e.g., diversity declarations or accessibility needs). Such data is used for anonymized aggregate reporting or reasonable accommodation and is not used for profiling.

We do not knowingly collect personal data from individuals under 16 years of age. If we learn that we have collected personal data of a child under 16, we will take steps to delete it.

4. Legal Basis for Processing (GDPR / Global Compliance)

We process personal data under one or more of the following legal bases, depending on the circumstances and your jurisdiction:

* Consent (e.g., for newsletters, public member profiles, marketing communications)
* Performance of a contract (e.g., to process membership applications, provide membership services, fulfill event registrations)
* Legal obligation (e.g., financial, tax or regulatory requirements)
* Legitimate interests (e.g., fraud prevention, platform improvements, member networking facilitation)
* Where required by law, we obtain explicit opt-in consent for processing sensitive personal data or for international transfers.

5. How We Use Your Data

We use personal data to:

* Process membership and speaker applications and manage your membership status
* Facilitate networking, member directories, and introductions among members
* Communicate council updates, decisions, invitations, and opportunities
* Publish member profiles, testimonials and awards only with your consent
* Perform analytics to improve the Council platform and user experience
* Conduct surveys, questionnaires, and research to support council activities
* Send marketing communications where you have consented to receive them
* Comply with legal and regulatory obligations and prevent fraud and abuse

6. Payment Processing

Online transactions (membership fees, event fees, sponsorships) are processed through PCI DSS-compliant third-party payment gateways (for example, Stripe, PayPal, Razorpay). We do not store full card numbers or CVV/CVC codes on our servers.

7. Data Sharing and Disclosure

We may share your personal data with:

* Payment processors (to complete transactions)
* CRM and email marketing platforms (only when you have opted in)
* Forttuna Group staff, council committees, and authorized contractors (for membership administration and evaluation)
* Event partners or service providers (with your consent where required)
* Law enforcement or regulators where required by law
* IT, hosting, and security service providers
* Analytics providers (e.g., Google Analytics, Meta Pixel) to help improve our services

We do not sell your personal data.

8. International Data Transfers

Because the Council operates globally, data may be transferred to or processed in countries outside your home jurisdiction (including UAE, US, EU, India, and others). We protect cross-border transfers by:

Using Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) where applicable
Applying appropriate technical and organizational safeguards (encryption, access controls)
Minimizing the amount of transferred data to what is necessary

9. Data Retention

We retain personal data only as long as necessary for:

* Providing Council services and membership administration
* Legal, tax and regulatory compliance
* Legitimate business purposes (analytics, fraud prevention, dispute resolution)
* You may request deletion or correction of your data by emailing: privacy@forttuna.com. We will respond in accordance with applicable law.

10. Your Rights

Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have rights including:

* Access to your personal data
* Correction of inaccurate information
* Request deletion
* Restrict processing
* Object to direct marketing
* Request data portability
* Withdraw consent
* Lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority

To exercise these rights, contact: privacy@forttuna.com.

11. Automated Decision-Making

We do not use automated decision-making or profiling that produces legal or similarly significant effects on individuals.

12. Data Security

We implement technical and organizational measures to protect data, including:

* SSL / TLS encryption in transit
* Firewalls and intrusion detection systems
* Role-based access and multi-factor authentication for internal systems
* Regular vulnerability scanning and security testing
* Data minimization and secure storage practices

However, no online system can be guaranteed 100% secure.

13. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar technologies to operate the site and improve user experience. Please see our Cookie Policy (linked on the site) for details on types of cookies, purposes, and choices for disabling or managing them.

14. Third-Party Links

Our site may link to external websites (partners, media coverage, sponsors). We are not responsible for their privacy practices; please review their policies before sharing personal data.

15. Policy Updates

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will post any changes on the site with an updated “Effective Date” and, where appropriate, notify affected members.

16. Contact Us

Forttuna Council – Data Privacy Team

Email: privacy@forttuna.com
Website: https://council.forttuna.com