EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:

The partnership between the Chief Information Officer (CIO) and the Chief Data Officer (CDO) is critical in today’s data-driven business landscape. The CIO is responsible for technology infrastructure and development, while the CDO oversees an organization’s information strategy, information governance initiatives, and ensures that data remains actionable.

In short, the CIO and the CDO operate in and oversee overlapping domains. As custodians of technology and data, respectively, they play a role in ensuring that data is properly managed, used and secured. In this article, we explore the critical partnership between CIOs and CDOs and how it can drive meaningful business insights, promote innovation, advance security and ultimately lead to greater enterprise success.

CIO & CDO partnership

The partnership between CIOs and CDOs needs to be strong and collaborative in order to yield optimal results. By working together, the two can ensure that data is managed effectively, that it’s accessible to those who require it, and that it’s used in meaningful, beneficial and secure ways.

• When CIOs and CDOs work together, they can ensure that data is properly integrated across various systems and platforms, which enables organizations to gain a holistic view of their operations. In turn, this allows enterprises to observe patterns and trends that might not have been apparent otherwise.
• A strong CIO-CDO partnership can also help organizations navigate the complex regulatory environment surrounding data privacy and security. With mounting concerns pertaining to data breaches and cyber attacks, businesses need to have a comprehensive data protection strategy in place. A collaborative approach speaks to an interest in high-quality security and can result in greater certainty around meeting compliance requirements.
• Further, a strong CIO-CDO partnership can help organizations better understand customers and their needs. Data analytics can provide insights into customer behavior, preferences and pain points, which can inform product development, marketing campaigns, infrastructure investments and customer service initiatives.

In today’s business environment, data is an incredibly valuable asset. By fostering a strong, collaborative partnership, CIOs and CDOs can ensure that data is properly managed, secured and leveraged to drive business success. The CIO and CDO partnership is critical to the success of any organization that wishes to thrive in the data-driven ecosystem.

A combined role: The CIDO

When the CIO of a well-known hospitality chain decided to retire, the organization chose to fill the role with a CIDO. This decision was made in order to advance the organization’s strategic technology objectives.

A Chief Information and Digital Officer (CIDO) is responsible for both technical infrastructure and enterprise-wide digital transformation through technology. The role of the CIDO centers around driving the technology journey in order to ensure future business growth.

To ensure that security is fully included under the umbrella of CIDO responsibilities, some organizations are going so far as to open CIDSO (Chief Information Digital Security Officer) roles.

For more leadership insights, please see CyberTalk.org’s past coverage. Lastly, to receive cutting-edge cyber security news, exclusive interviews, expert analyses and security resources, please sign up for the CyberTalk.org newsletter.