The chief data officer (CDO) role was only established in 2002, but it has grown enormously since then. In one recent survey of large companies, 83% reported having a CDO. This isn’t surprising: Data and approaches to understanding it (analytics and AI) are incredibly important in contemporary organizations. What is eyebrow-raising, however, is that the CDO job is terribly ill-defined. Sixty-two percent of CDOs surveyed in the research we describe below reported that the CDO role is poorly understood, and incumbents of the job have often met with diffuse expectations and short tenures. There is a clear need for CDOs to focus on adding visible value to their organizations.
8 Strategies for Chief Data Officers to Create — and Demonstrate — Value
Because the role is poorly understood, CDOs need to show how they add value to their organizations.
January 31, 2023
Summary.
The CDO role is poorly understood, and incumbents of the job have often met with diffuse expectations and short tenures. There is a clear need for CDOs to focus on adding visible value to their organizations. The authors suggest eight strategies for CDOs to create — and show — value for their companies: assume responsibility for analytics and AI, focus on data products, measure and document results, build relationships with peers and business leaders who get it, focus on data governance, work on creating a data-driven culture even though it’s difficult to show value quickly, build analytics and data infrastructure, and focus on a few key projects of value to stakeholders.
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Accelerate your career with Harvard ManageMentor®. HBR Learning’s online leadership training helps you hone your skills with courses like Digital Intelligence . Earn badges to share on LinkedIn and your resume. Access more than 40 courses trusted by Fortune 500 companies.
Excel in a world that's being continually transformed by technology.