The next big thing: chief data officer

of Things (IoT), which will entail processing of billions of data, demands that data management be within the purview of a separate top executive with the designation

The main policy direction of a CDO is to create, sustain and evolve a data-driven culture within the organization. A data-driven culture exists in a workplace where decisions are made based on hard data, not on gut feel or conjecture.

To pursue such a mandate, the general duties and responsibilities of a CDO include:

• Provide a clear strategy on the management of data within the organization and its communication with other stakeholders;

rules and roles around data in harmony with the avowed visionmission of the organization;

• Implement systems and processes that ensure available data is trustworthy, reliable and secure;

• Apply technology to draw out meaningful value and insights from streams of data;

• Instill responsible sharing of data and ensure decision makers get relevant data to make sound decisions.

In the organizational structure, the CDO position is at the same executive level as the CIO, not an assistant or staff IT position. In which case, the CIO and CDO are expected to collaborate closely to reach the higher vision of a datadriven culture in the organization. In the first place, the CIO has been there before under less beleaguered situations and he could provide legacy insights to support the newcomer CDO in his/ her advocacy towards a data-driven culture.

The CDO is a decades-old post in developing economies but it’s only beginning to be appreciated in the Philippines, most likely