Chief Digital Officer (CDO)
A Chief Digital Officer (CDO) or a Chief Digital Information Officer (CDIO) is an individual who helps a company, a government organization or a city drive growth by converting traditional "analog" businesses to digital ones using the potential of modern online technologies and data, and at times oversees operations in the rapidly changing digital sectors like mobile applications, social media and related applications, virtual goods, as well as "wild" web-based information management and marketing.[1]
Responsibilities of the Chief Digital Officer (CDO)[2]
- Map digital capabilities to strategic priorities. Digital won’t get the visibility or support it needs if it’s not helping the company get where it wants to go.
- Serve as the executive sponsor for digital process innovation. Other executives might not be measured on new functionality or economies of scale that digital capabilities enable. For instance, consider the complexities of digitizing the mortgage loan application, and how that will impact a variety of existing business processes.
- Develop and administer the digital project portfolio. Responsibility for actual deployment of digital solutions might rest with line of business executives. Centralized monitoring of often-heterogeneous digital initiatives is critical.
- Measure new efficiencies and ROI. Replacing manual processes with technology drives both cost savings and revenue generation. The CDO’s oversight across digital initiatives positions him or her uniquely well to measure success.
- Develop ways to attract and retain top talent. Companies often have more mature visions for digital than they do skills.
- Be the “executive intermediary” during delivery. This often means enlisting involvement from other executives, re-establishing priorities, acting as a coach, or serving as tiebreaker during the rollout of digital capabilities.
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