Understanding the Chief Data Officer, 2nd Edition

More organizations today, public and private alike, are embracing the role of Chief Data Officer (CDO), not only to manage the way they gather, store, and protect data, but also to generate new business value through a coordinated data strategy. In this updated and expanded report, Julie Steele of Silicon Valley Data Science examines how CDOs at different types of organizations view a role that, while still evolving, is now coming into clear focus.

Through more than a dozen enlightening interviews with current and former CDOs at organizations such as Samsung, Zynga, Citizen’s Bank, Allstate, Seattle Children’s Hospital, and New York State, this report concentrates on guidelines and best practices for organizations looking to add their own CDO.

With this report, you’ll explore:

• How CDOs are moving from data governance to data strategy, driving business value through new products and services
• Expanding CDO responsibilities, such as advocating for data-driven approaches and setting priorities for data-driven projects
• The CDO’s challenge of keeping up with a rapidly shifting tech landscape while navigating politics in many divisions and departments
• The relationships between CDOs and CIOs, chief risk officers, and data stewards among different organizations
• How to find CDO candidates who have the technology chops, business thinking, political skills, and executive-level experience you need

Julie Steele is Director of Communications at Silicon Valley Data Science and coauthor of Beautiful Visualization and Designing Data Visualizations (both O’Reilly).