Last updated: November 13, 2025

2. Who we are

We are LEO in Berlin, a Berlin-based network for professionals with Lithuanian-German connections and interests.

Contact details:
Address: Lithuanian Expats Organisation (LEO), Postfach 31 04 42, 10634 Berlin, Deutschland Email: leoinberlin@lithuanianleaders.org

If you have any questions about how we process your personal data, please contact us at the email above.

3. The personal data we process

We collect and process various types of personal data depending on the activity you engage in. These include, but are not limited to:

Membership application and onboarding (becoming a member)

  • Identity and contact: name, surname, e-mail address, mobile phone number, city/country of residence.
  • Professional details: organisation/employer, job title/position, years of professional experience, LinkedIn profile (if provided), social media handle (optional).
  • Motivation / additional information: e.g. why you wish to join, what value you may bring to the network, whether you are interested in participating in the organisational team or giving talks.

Membership administration and communication (active members)

  • Once you become a member of LEO in Berlin, we continue to process certain personal data for the purpose of maintaining your membership and supporting the club’s core activities. Data processed may include:
  • your name and surname,
  • contact details (e-mail, mobile phone number, city or country of residence),
  • professional details (organisation, position, LinkedIn or other professional profile, if provided),
  • participation data (attendance at events, contributions to projects or committees),
  • membership fee payment status,
  • internal notes on engagement (e.g. volunteer activities or coordination tasks).
  • These data are used to administer your membership, maintain communication with you, send relevant information about LEO in Berlin’s activities, events and opportunities, and ensure proper functioning of the community.
  • This processing does not rely on consent — it forms part of your ongoing membership relationship.

Event registrations (members and non-members)

  • Name, surname, e-mail address, city or district preferences (for location-based events), event participation information, payment reference if applicable, dietary or accessibility information (if collected).
  • For some events we may collect optional additional data (e.g. social media handle, company/organisation) depending on the nature of the event.

Membership fee administration

  • Name, surname, contact details, membership status, payment amount, payment reference, and date of payment.

Newsletter and external communication (non-members)

  • Name, surname, e-mail address, mobile phone number (if provided), city, current employer / position (optional), interest in receiving newsletters or joining as a member (optional).

Professional networking and member connections

  • Name, surname, email, professional summary, field of expertise, company/organisation, LinkedIn profile, social media link (optional) – shared with other members or partners only with your explicit consent.

Photography / video at events

  • If photography or video is taken at our events, it may include images of participants (name may or may not be captured) to be used for documentation, communication, social media or promotional purposes.

4. How we use your personal data & legal basis

Membership application and onboarding (becoming a member)

To assess membership applications and evaluate candidates who wish to join LEO in Berlin.
We use the information provided in your membership application to contact you, arrange an introductory conversation and decide on membership admission.

Legal basis: Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR (steps prior to entering a membership relationship) and Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR (legitimate interest in assessing potential members).

Retention period: Data of unsuccessful applicants are retained until a decision on membership is made and for up to three months afterwards (in case you not become a member).

Membership administration and communication

Once you become a member, we continue to process your personal data to maintain your membership, keep our records up to date, and enable smooth communication.
This includes sending information about upcoming events, meetings, projects and opportunities, as well as coordinating participation in the club’s activities, getting feedback.
This processing forms part of your membership and does not require separate consent.

Legal basis: Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR (performance of the membership relationship) and Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR (legitimate interest in operating a professional network).

Retention period: Membership data are retained while the membership remains active and for up to twelve months after termination, unless longer retention is required for accounting or legal reasons.

Former members and alumni

We retain basic contact details of former members (name, email address, and membership period) for the purpose of maintaining an alumni network and inviting them to related professional events. This processing is based on our legitimate interest in continuing professional connections within the LEO community (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR). Former members may request removal from the alumni list at any time.

Event organization & participation (for members)

To invite and register participants, manage logistics and attendance, contact participants about event details.

Legal basis: contract or pre-contract steps – Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR – and/or legitimate interest – Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR.

Retention period: Event registration data are retained while the membership remains active and for up to twelve months after termination.

Membership fee administration

To process payments, issue receipts, and maintain financial records for legal and accounting purposes.

Legal basis: contract – Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR; legal obligation – Art. 6(1)(c) GDPR; legitimate interest – Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR.

Retention period: Payment and accounting data are retained for up to ten years to comply with financial and tax obligations under German law.

Newsletter and external communication (non-members)

For individuals who are not members of LEO in Berlin but wish to stay informed about our activities, we offer an optional newsletter subscription.

We use the information you provide to send occasional updates about events or community news.

Legal basis: Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR – consent. You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the “unsubscribe” link in our emails or by contacting us directly.

Retention period: Newsletter subscription data are stored until you withdraw your consent or unsubscribe.

We may retain contact details of individuals who have previously registered for or attended our events in order to inform them about similar upcoming events or networking opportunities organised by LEO in Berlin.

This is based on our legitimate interest in maintaining professional connections and promoting the club’s activities (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR).

Each such message will include a clear option to unsubscribe or opt out of further emails at any time.

Professional networking and member connections

Facilitating professional networking is one of the core purposes of LEO in Berlin. We process members’ professional information to enable introductions, collaboration, and community exchange both within LEO in Berlin and with other affiliated Lithuanian or international professional networks. This may include sharing basic member details with organisers or participants of joint events, cross-country meetings, or partnership projects relevant to the network’s mission.

Legal base: legitimate interest in promoting cooperation and professional exchange between members and affiliated organizations (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR).

We will request explicit consent if we wish to use your personal details publicly (e.g. on social media, promotional materials, or external publications) or share them with third parties unrelated to the LEO in Berlin community and affiliated organizations.

Retention period: professional networking data are retained while your membership remains active and up to twelve months after termination, unless longer retention is required for legal or accounting reasons.

Photography/videos & public communications

Photos or videos taken during events may be used for internal documentation and reporting based on our legitimate interest (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR). For public use (e.g. social media or website publication), we rely on consent (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR). Participants are informed in advance and may object or request removal of images that identify them.

Legal basis: legitimate interest (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR) and consent – Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR.

Retention period: Photos and videos are kept until consent is withdrawn or the material is removed from our public channels.

Compliance, legal obligations and archiving

To keep records as required by law, respond to requests, and protect our rights. Legal basis: legal obligation – Art. 6(1)(c) GDPR and/or legitimate interest – Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR.

Retention period: Legal and compliance records (e.g., consents, membership proofs) are retained for up to three years after membership termination, or longer if legally required.

5. Consent-based processing

Some processing activities are based on your explicit consent. These include:

  • Receiving newsletters (for not members), except when you have previously registered for or attended our events and we contact you about similar upcoming events or networking opportunities organised by LEO in Berlin – this is based on our legitimate interest (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR);
  • Sharing your contact data for professional networking (in the cases described in clause 4 f);
  • Publishing photos or videos where you are identifiable;
  • Public presentation of nominations or board candidacies.

Photography and videography at our events are generally carried out based on our legitimate interest in documenting and communicating LEO in Berlin’s activities (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR). Participants are informed in advance or at the event, and may object or request removal of images that identify them. Explicit consent is only required when we use individual or clearly identifiable images for promotional or public relations purposes.

Consent may be given in a general form (for example, as part of your membership application or event registration) and does not have to be obtained separately for each individual activity or event, unless the purpose of processing changes substantially.

Such consent applies to all relevant activities of LEO in Berlin as described in this Privacy Policy.

Consent is always voluntary, and refusal will not affect your membership or participation rights.

You may withdraw your consent at any time by contacting us at leoinberlin@lithuanianleaders.org.

Withdrawal does not affect the lawfulness of processing that took place before withdrawal.

6. Sharing your data with others

In order to operate effectively and fulfil our organisational purposes, we may share or store your data with trusted service providers and cooperation partners, as described below:

  1. Internal and network-related sharing
    As part of our professional networking activities (see section 4f), we may share limited member information (such as name, surname, email address, role, organisation, and field of expertise) with other members of LEO in Berlin or affiliated Lithuanian professional networks and event organisers.
  2. Service providers and processors
    We use selected third-party service providers who act on our behalf and process personal data under written data processing agreements in accordance with Article 28 GDPR.
    These include:
  • Google Workspace (Google Ireland Ltd.) – for secure cloud storage and document management (emails, forms, internal files);
  • Event platforms (e.g. Eventbrite, Google Forms) – for event registration and logistics;
  • Website hosting and analytics providers – to operate and maintain our website securely.
  • Legal and compliance disclosures
    We may disclose personal data where required by law, regulation, court order, or request from a competent supervisory authority.

We do not disclose your data to any unrelated third parties without a valid legal basis or your explicit consent.

7. Your rights

Under applicable data protection laws (including GDPR) you have the right to:

  • Request access to the personal data we hold about you;
  • Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data;
  • Request erasure (delete) of your personal data (where lawful);
  • Request restriction of processing in certain circumstances;
  • Object to processing (including for direct marketing);
  • Request data portability (where applicable);
  • Withdraw your consent at any time (where processing is based on consent) without affecting the lawfulness of processing before withdrawal.

If you wish to exercise any of these rights, please contact us at the email leoinberlin@lithuanianleaders.org. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with a data protection supervisory authority.

8. Cookies and tracking technologies

Our website does not currently use analytics or marketing cookies. The site is hosted on WordPress.com (Automattic), which may set strictly necessary technical cookies for secure operation; these are controlled by Automattic. We will update this Privacy Policy and display a cookie consent banner if we introduce non-essential cookies in the future. See: https://automattic.com/cookies/

9. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The version date at the top of this document indicates when it was last revised. We encourage you to review this policy periodically. If we make significant changes (e.g., regarding new processing activities), we will notify you (for example by email or via our website).

10. Contact information

If you have any questions about this policy or our data processing practices, you may contact us at:
Address: Lithuanian Expats Organisation (LEO), Postfach 31 04 42, 10634 Berlin, Deutschland Email: leoinberlin@lithuanianleaders.org