Something to Consider September 2017 4

Do You Really Need a Chief Data Officer?

What’s in a name? The world of information and technology has suffered from an identity crisis for decades.

Sure, labels do have a value. But does your title make you better at engaging with your stakeholders, more understanding, a better listener, more analytical, more empathetic, more persuasive?

Chief Information Officer, Chief Digital Officer, Chief Data Officer – do they help or confuse? Maybe just Chief Change Officer would be more representative?

We all know that data is crucial to the effective working of today’s organization, but then again so is electricity. Do we need a Chief Electricity Officer? Where do we draw the line?

Speakers at the recent Tech Leaders Summit had a common refrain – success comes from the quality of dialogue with executives and stakeholders, a focus on transversal business process change, a business focussed team, driving cultural change, directing the conversation about what change is possible to meet business demands and opportunities. Digital, Tech and Data are all ‘just’ enablers…

So we do we need a Chief Data Officer? The answer, it would seem, is yes and no.

Our ‘Something To Consider’ snippets are framed as small, digestible, ‘dashes of insight’ around the pillars of what we define as “World Class Finance” – Process Optimization, Financial Control and Compliance, and Risk Assurance, all underpinned by technology enablement and integration.