Essential Priorities for an Info-Savvy CDO

Today, Chief Data Officers are tasked with deriving value from their organization’s information assets. Previously, their roles revolved around mitigating data-associated risks. This evolution, while timely, means that the priorities of a CDO can get lost in the shuffle or mixed up with those of the CIO.

Caserta’s CDO Checklist: 9 Essential Priorities for an Info-Savvy CDO shares the most important priorities that should occupy a CDO during his or her tenure. Following from their decades of experience advising CDOs and designing and delivering enterprise-scale data, analytics, and software solutions for Fortune 500 companies, Caserta Principals Doug Gray and Doug Laney share the nine most important items every CDO should take into account in their role.

Items tackled in our CDO guide include building a data strategy and roadmap, data monetization, data governance, architecture & platforms, organization & roles, partners, self-service, the cloud vs. on-prem debate, and project management.

About the Authors

Doug Gray

Doug Gray has over 30 years of experience as a data & analytics practitioner, Software Product & Solutions Delivery Program Manager, and CTO-VP-Director with Fortune 500 companies including American Airlines, Sabre, Travelocity, and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas City. Most recently, Doug was Head of Enterprise Data & Analytics Technology for Southwest Airlines where his teams won a total of 7 industry awards. Doug is an Adjunct Professor of Business Analytics at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas where he teaches in the Executive MBA program in the Cox School of Business and in the MS in Data Science program.

Doug Laney

Doug Laney is a best-selling author and recognized authority on data and analytics strategy. He advises senior IT, business and data leaders on data monetization and valuation, data management and governance, alternative data, analytics best practices, and information innovation. Doug’s book, Infonomics: How to Monetize, Manage, and Measure Information for Competitive Advantage, was selected by CIO Magazine as the “Must-Read Book of the Year.”