Effective Communicator

Increasingly, the CDO must be an effective communicator across multiple departments. These days, CDOs could report to the CIO, CTO, CEO, COO or CFO. Most large data projects involve multidisciplinary teams and a wide range of technical and non-technical stakeholders, each of whom consume information in different ways.

A survey by New Vantage Partners found that 72.1% of firms report that the CDO function is an unsettled role, while only 27.9% describe the role as being successful and established.

Source: New Vantage Partners

Deep Understanding of Business Objectives

It’s no wonder that many firms continue to struggle with the role and function of the CDO. A survey by New Vantage Partners found that 72.1% of firms report that the CDO function remains an unsettled role, while only 27.9% describe the role as being successful and established.

As a result, the CDO must adapt to this diversity of roles by conveying information in a concise and understandable way, considering multiple opinions and communicating effectively with team members and executives in language they understand. CDOs that report to the CIO generally work with people who have more advanced technical skills; CDOs that report to the CEO often must collaborate with people who lack technical knowledge but have a deep understanding of business objectives.