 |
The number of data and analytics leaders in C-suite roles has soared since Capital One appointed the very first Chief Data Officer in 2002. Yet, the average tenure for someone in these positions is just 2.5 years. For aspiring CDAOs, there’s an urgent need to discover what it is that enables the world’s best data leaders to rise to the top and succeed in these demanding roles. With expert commentary from nine of the world’s top data and analytics executives, this report does exactly that. Our research reveals that data and analytics leaders have now started taking the helm as company CEOs. To follow in their footsteps, aspiring CDAOs must hone their technical, business and storytelling skills to become ‘data science unicorns’. Successful CDAOs must also act as strategic partners to IT, playing a key role in evaluating potential service providers and specifying what technical infrastructure they’ll need to deliver their strategies. Data leadership roles are evolving continuously. A CDAO’s responsibilities will typically depend on where their organization is in its data and analytics journey, with those at more data-driven organizations playing a greater role in steering business strategies and driving digital transformation. Identifying opportunities to drive business value, securing buy-in and budget from company executives and delivering stakeholder-pleasing ‘quick wins’ are key priorities for new CDAOs. But over time, their priorities tend to shift toward embedding analytics, machine learning and AI into their companies’ core operations. |
