Contrary to widespread thinking that the chief digital officer position has a short shelf-life, a large majority of business and IT professionals see their organization’s CDO as an effective change agent and champion for achieving digital transformation, according to a recent survey by technology consulting and services provider Mindtree.
For its research, Mindtree partnered with Researchscape International to survey 323 business and IT professionals in the U.S. and U.K. who work under a CDO. It found that the CDO has been effective in championing many digital initiatives such as giving customers seamless digital experiences (cited by 27 percent) and creating new business models (20 percent).
The survey found that respondents see a clear need for the continuance of the CDO position, with 74 percent stating that their organization’s CDO has clearly defined responsibilities and 81 percent saying that a dedicated CDO position is needed.
In addition, business and IT professionals think the CDO role is becoming even more relevant compared with when it was first created (76 percent), demonstrating a clear mandate for the CDO to accomplish his or her digital objectives.
Business and IT leaders cited a deep understanding of technology (61 percent) and the ability to execute digital strategies (53 percent) as their CDO’s main skills. Nearly 70 percent of respondents said their CDO comes from an IT background, suggesting that while many CDOs possess a good combination of technology understanding and “soft skills,” they might have less visibility into or are still acquiring an understanding of how parts of the business function.
