CIO OPINION
The role of the CDO is multi-faceted and liable to change in line with key trends happening now and in the future .
John Salt , Co-founder of OnlyDataJobs
Chief data officers leading the digital revolution
Using data to inform business decisions has led to a new role – the chief data officer . Here , John Salt , Co-founder of OnlyDataJobs , shares the three skills needed to succeed in the role of chief data officer and explores the attributes that future candidates will need to have .
The rise of the chief data officer ( CDO ) role demonstrates the increasing need to champion the value of data assets in order to create a data-first , digital business . Historically , the first CDO was appointed in 2002 by Capital One , and Yahoo ! joined it in 2005 with the appointment of its own . However , now , only 21 % of companies currently have a CDO and , according to research undertaken by Gartner , more than 80 % assumed the role in the last two years .
Take the FTSE100 companies , for example , where only 37 % have a CDO – higher than the 21 % shown across all organisations in the UK , but still not enough . To be able to continue thriving , this role needs to be created and filled to implement data-driven change in strategy , working practices and the offering of the business .
There is a key difference between the role of a chief data officer and one of a chief information officer ( CIO ). To explain this , Carolina Carruthers , Director at Carruthers and Jackson and former Chief Data Officer of Network Rail uses the bucket analogy :
“ The chief information officer is responsible for the bucket . They ’ re responsible for making sure that the bucket is the right size , that there are no holes in it , that it ’ s safe and that it ’ s in the right place . The chief data officer is responsible for the fluid that goes in the bucket , comes out of the bucket , that it goes to the right place , that it ’ s the right quality and the right fluid to start with . Neither the bucket nor the water work without each other .”
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