After years of being focused primarily on data — not employee — management, surveys show CDOs often lack the skills to tackle the cultural challenges critical to a data-driven culture, and their roles remain less understood than other C-level positions, Davenport said. “Surveys of CDOs also suggest that their jobs are less well understood than other C-level executives,” he added.
In one recent article, Davenport argued there are too many technology-focused C-level executives in many companies, including CIOs, CTOs, Chief Data and/or Analytics Officers, Chief Digital Officers, and CISOs. “The CIO role is much better understood and while it, too, once was characterized by short tenures, it’s much more familiar than the CDO role,” he said. “Many CDOs focus primarily on data governance and management activities for which it is difficult to demonstrate value. Those who also have analytics and AI responsibilities have a somewhat easier time of that.”
Given the critical role now of genAI in shaping business strategies, aspiring CDAOs should focus on developing expertise in data, analytics and AI technologies, James said.
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