Chapter 1. Understanding the Chief Data Officer
Introduction
As the tide of âbig dataâ continues to rise, organizations find themselves either comfortably riding the wave or up to their necks in new technologies and trying not to drown. As technology has come to play an increasingly vital role over the last several decades, the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) and Chief Information Officer (CIO) have become familiar roles. Now, the newer but rapidly spreading Chief Data Officer (CDO) position is becoming more familiar. And when provided the right structure and support, a CDO can be an excellent captain for navigating these new waters.
We have all come to understand that data, when used correctly, can yield tremendous valueâor even change entire industries. Look at what Amazon and Netflix have done with recommendations, to take a ânew schoolâ web example, or look at what Walmart has done with supply chain optimization, to take an âold schoolâ retail example. What company wouldnât want to achieve such results through better use of data?
If those examples constitute the âcarrotâ of business insights, efficiency, and even brand new products, then there is also a data âstick.â Industries such as finance and healthcare, which regularly deal with sensitive personal information, have become more heavily regulated in terms of how they must handle and protect their personal data. Even without regulation, the ongoing plague of hacks has made the prospect of a large ...
Get Understanding the Chief Data Officer, 2nd Edition now with the O’Reilly learning platform.
O’Reilly members experience books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.