Data Trust Services

Chief Data Officers (CDOs) as leaders must focus on driving tangible business outcomes, to deliver impact in leveraging data as a strategic asset and secure a lasting presence in the C-suite. However, it’s easier said than done and they often face challenges in demonstrating their worth to senior leadership, resulting in relatively short tenures.

Whilst it is critical that CDOs focus on driving data outcomes in areas such as artificial intelligence (AI including GenAI), machine learning (ML), data analytics use cases, and more, a broader perspective is needed. Imagine the data and AI ecosystem as a tree. Its foundation lies in robust data management and governance practices, firmly rooted in security, ethical principles, controls, and risk management. This strong base allows the data tree to flourish and bear “fruits”. These fruits represent actionable insights that empower leaders to make strategic decisions, ultimately creating a positive impact on the business. A key role of the CDO is to articulate not just what can be done, but the interconnected nature as laid out by the data tree. Too often use cases and programmes fail as they are anchored purely on specific outcomes which tend to be individual use cases, versus viewing each use case as a function of the broader environment that the CDO can enable.

With this comprehensive approach, CDOs can drive valuable outcomes, enabling the organisation to thrive in an increasingly data-driven world. By acting as a trusted advisor in their multi-faceted and challenging role, we can help CDOs establish themselves as indispensable assets in the C-suite, securing their place as essential contributors to the organisation’s success.