Dialogue on an Inevitable Transformation
Imagining the world in 2050 is a fascinating exercise. What will be the impact on businesses and the roles within them? Here, we focus on the role of the Chief Data Officer (CDO) to understand its future evolution, transitioning from technical management to a hybrid role combining strategy, innovation, and human engagement.
Who better to engage in this exercise than two data enthusiasts! Today, we are pleased to welcome Florence Haxel, CEO, Datalogy, who focuses on project adoption and the dissemination of a data culture. She highlights the importance of team buy-in and engagement for successful digital transformation. She is joined by Jean-Paul Otte, EMEA Strategic Services, Precisely, who shares his vision centered on the strategic and technical challenges of the CDO role.
Together, they offer us a comprehensive and complementary vision of what the future CDO might look like.
Before talking about the future, let’s take a look at what’s happening today. Is the CDO already a disappearing role, Jean-Paul?
[Jean-Paul]: I would say no, but I don’t have a crystal ball, nor enough historical data depth to submit to a predictive model about the future of the CDO. However, if we draw a parallel with another role whose mission is to maximize the value of a company’s asset, namely the HR Director, I am rather optimistic about the evolution of the role. Originally, the HR Director was the “Personnel Director” and their main tasks were to apply rules regarding salaries, vacations, compliance with laws, etc. Occasionally, they had to negotiate with union representatives who demanded more consideration for employees… but that was anecdotal. Over time, this personnel director transformed into a human resources manager, implementing strategies to attract and retain the best talents to achieve the company’s goals. Today, beyond human management, they have become a key player in corporate strategy, often a member of the executive committee, as evidenced by the numerous initiatives in place (nice place to work, etc.).
[Florence] : It’s true that when you think about it, the HR profile has undergone a similar evolution!
[Jean-Paul] : Yes, I think that today the CDO is in this transition period where they move from “enforcing rules” to implementing strategies to extract all the value from data to achieve objectives. I remember not so long ago being that union representative demanding more consideration for data, and today, the message has been received. So, the CDO is not going to disappear but rather gradually become a key player in corporate strategy. It took many years for the personnel director, but I think the transformation of the CDO will be faster in a world where data volume is exploding and AI is revealing all the value of said data.
It’s a big challenge for the CDO. We have also noticed significant turnover, which seems to be starting to stabilize, marking the transition to this new stage in the evolution of the CDO role.
Florence, on your side, do you think the feeling that the CDO role is disappearing is a matter of perception or natural evolution?
[Florence]: Let’s not forget that the role of CDO initially emerged in response to numerous regulations. Due to its origins, the function suffers from a technical and very “restrictive” image. Humanizing the role was essential to promote its evolution and enrichment. This human dimension also allows us not to stop at the performance of designing a data product (and what a performance already!!) but to close the loop by focusing on adoption issues and changes in usage, which are increasingly part of the success criteria for a data project. This also makes the job a bit more attractive…!
[Jean-Paul] : Oh yes! It wasn’t the most attractive role at the beginning to be a CDO!
[Florence]: Yes, and that’s why the CDO must also take on the challenge of learning to speak the language of the company, the language of business, the language of the various professions, and the culture of the company. Data initiatives exist only to serve the key issues of the company. It is necessary to demonstrate to all areas of the company the positive impact that data and AI can bring to employees’ daily lives. But it’s not always simple… The various professions sometimes lack Data Culture to be able to project themselves, and CDOs speak too technically and quickly lose the attention of their interlocutors.
For these two points, communication plays an essential role in repositioning the CDO and the importance of data projects in the collective imagination. By using effective communication strategies, the CDO can improve their visibility and influence, both with executive committees and operational teams. More and more CDOs have understood this necessity. So for me, we are not witnessing the disappearance of the CDO role but rather a profile that will now take on its full scope and cross-functional mission, which will require new soft skills such as lobbying or storytelling.
In considering the short-term future, we can already anticipate an evolution of the CDO role towards a hybrid model, combining both a strong technological orientation and a humanistic sensitivity. According to you, Jean-Paul, what types of skills will the CDO of the future need to master to remain relevant?
[Jean-Paul]: We can say that today, in the field of data, expertise remains essential, even if it tends to become standardized, with technology having become a mere commodity. This is why benchmarking and choosing the right tools remain very important, even if these tools do not always represent complete solutions. The key is to ultimately find solutions that coexist transparently and effectively.
[Florence]: In the future, I think the focus will be more on processes and people, requiring very specific skills. On the technological side, organizations will need tools that come as close as possible to an integrated solution. On the human side, it is rather the ability to integrate into an executive team, forming squads with HR Directors, CIOs, and transformation leaders, that will be decisive. There is therefore a need for skill evolution for the role.
The elements of a data product launch kit? At a minimum, a one-pager (written to resonate with the audience) and a video tutorial to highlight the features. And gather all the materials in one place: often a central repository, a single entry and information point on all data-related topics.
And if we project into the future, will the CDO ultimately have been a temporary role or will it have earned its place as a new strategic pillar of the organization? Moreover, will we integrate it into another role or even rename it (Chief Data & AI Officer, Chief Innovation Officer)?
[Jean-Paul]: For me, it is clear that the CDO is destined to become a strategic pillar of the organization. Once the initial “technical” phase is over, this role could evolve to become more collective. Originally, the CDO is a lone rider, with a clear vision and strategy that they implement and manage technically. Then, they share this vision within the organization and mobilize teams for collective achievement.
It is also essential to develop a common plan with the business teams, much like human resources, because “we don’t do data for the sake of data.” This will better integrate data initiatives into the company’s overall strategy and maximize their impact.
[Florence]: But then why do we do data? (smiles)
[Jean-Paul]: The good news is that everyone knows it today.
Florence, how do you maintain continuity in communication and engagement around data, even with turnover or an evolution of the role?
[Florence]: For me, there are two types of communication. Data project communication and data vision communication. By centralizing all materials in a central repository with calibrated templates, project communication is sustainable. Data vision communication is personal, embodied, and will inevitably evolve with changes in the CDO, which is a good thing. It will be found in the editorial of a newsletter, on the central repository, in the language elements of oral presentations, etc. The tone, mottos, and metaphors used will give it an identity and a real capacity to engage… or not.
Could we go further and describe in a few words the ideal portrait of the CDO of the future?
[Florence]: For me, it would be an “empathetic tech expert” who knows how to handle technology while considering the human dimension: listening, supporting, reassuring. A strategic storyteller, connecting technology, human values, and collective engagement to make data a real asset for all employees.
[Jean-Paul]: I would say a hybrid figure, capable of predicting and acting in the service of humans and business.
Final words. If you could give advice to a CDO in 2050, what would it be?
[Jean-Paul]: Stay true to the fundamentals: ensure that the organization extracts all the value from its data to achieve its goals. And then reread this article and tell us how far off the mark we were 🙂
[Florence]: Not really advice… I hope that the CDO of 2050 won’t have become too “social” or too strategic. 😉 I am a fan of the current profile of my clients: they are often ultra-expert techs who don’t always have the keys to use communication (which makes me feel so useful by their side… but who always amaze me with their passion and above all, a deep humility… Surely the most beautiful quality to always know how to reinvent oneself, right?
Thank you both for this insightful discussion. It emerges that, by 2050, the role of the Chief Data Officer (CDO) will evolve beyond its initial functions. Thanks to their perfect mastery of technologies and understanding of human dynamics, they will play a key role in the digital transformation of organizations. They will be seen not just as the guardians of data, but as architects of innovation, shaping a future where technology and humanity coexist in service of corporate strategy.
