For traditional businesses, moving from an analog to a data-centric business model is frequently necessary for digital success. This shift, which is commonly referred to as digital transformation, can last for several years and involve significant changes to an organization’s technology architecture, business processes, products, roles, job descriptions, and culture. Therefore, strategic leadership and change management are crucial components of the chief digital officer role.
The position of chief digital officer is relatively new. Around the year 2010, the title first appeared on organizational charts for businesses. By that time, smartphones and tablets enabled computing at any time and from any location. Amazon and other digitally native retailers were creating a market for digital goods like video on demand and setting new customer expectations for online shopping. Organizations remembered they required computerized methodologies to associate with well-informed buyers, empower workers and safeguard against advanced disturbance.
According to a prediction made by Gartner, a consulting firm, the chief digital officer position would “prove to be the most exciting strategic role in the decade ahead” in 2012. By the year 2015, approximately 25% of all businesses would have a leader in this position. While the chief digital officer title’s early popularity seems to be waning, the duties of the position are growing and changing as cutting-edge technologies like AI and robotics continue to reshape how businesses serve customers and reap business value.
What is a chief digital officer?
In a way that many CIOs lack the bandwidth for, a chief digital officer strategically transforms a company’s technological future. A chief digital officer (CDO) is a leader with digital expertise and business acumen who aids organizations in driving digital transformation through a business-wise digital vision and strategy.
The chief digital officer is a customer-facing position that indicates a commitment to the digital future at many businesses. In some cases, the chief digital officer’s primary duty is to strategically transform the business of the company. The CDO has been dubbed the “transformer in chief” by McKinsey & Co.
Who does the chief digital officer report to?
The chief digital officer could report to the CEO, COO, CFO, CTO, CIO, or even the CMO, depending on the job description, responsibilities, and importance level. The CDO role can be very different and new to some organizations.
For instance, if the chief digital officer plays a more visionary role and is in charge of shaping the company’s digital future, the CDO might report to the CEO or COO, and other C-level executives might report to the chief digital officer. The CDO may report to the CFO for businesses that need to incorporate new technologies into their financial services procedures.
The CDO may report to the CTO in situations that necessitate technical decisions regarding products and services. The CDO may report to the CIO if digital transformation focuses on IT-related processes. The CDO may report to the CMO in businesses working to analyze customer buying patterns and enhance customer experiences.
Experts agree that the CDO should have authority comparable to that of other C-suite executives in order to maintain influence and succeed.
Who needs a chief digital officer?
When looking for a chief digital officer, businesses should first assess their digital risks and opportunities and the leadership’s capacity to create and implement an efficient digital business model. According to MIT Sloan School of Management researchers, businesses should ask themselves the following fundamental questions:
- How much of a digital threat does your company face? Who are your most recent online rivals? How do you stack up against the industry’s digital king?)
- What is the best digital model for your company if your current business model is under threat? Which do you prioritize, customer satisfaction or operational efficiency?)
- What is your current advantage over competitors in the digital age? Dedicated clients? massive archives of data accumulated over time?)
- How can the digital age benefit your business? Do you have a new way to connect with customers through mobile? Can IoT be used to provide better service to customers? How can AI make product recommendations more effective?)
- To achieve digital dexterity, what muscles do you need to strengthen? Do you need to collaborate with other industries or businesses? Enhance your analytical capabilities?
- Do you have the right people in charge to accomplish this?
5 Chief digital officer job description examples
Example 1: Chief digital officer jd
Job Role: Chief Digital Officer
Company: XYZ
Location: City, State, Country
Job Type: Full-Time
Industry: IT & IT Services
Job Id: 456789
Salary: $212,811 per year
Job Summary:
Chief digital officers promote how people, processes, and technology can enable a digital vision and oversee the adoption of digital technologies throughout an organization. They also transform business strategy through the use of technology and data.
The best chief digital officers can bring other executives and users on board with their vision of the company’s digital future. According to Justin Cerilli, who oversees Russell Reynolds Associates’ financial services technology and data and analytics practices, “evangelism is increasingly falling under the digital role.” Every time, it’s about people, processes, technology, and how digital makes that possible. To get there, those in these positions must concentrate on process, business strategy, and storytelling.
Chief Digital Officer Roles and Responsibilities:
- Recognize the opportunities presented by digitally enabled business models and emerging digital technologies.
- Be a part of relevant ecosystems and build and maintain relationships with vendors, startups, analysts, and academia.
- Be a thought leader who explains the enterprise’s digital future.
- Build tech fluency from the top down by educating the board on digital technologies.
- Make sure that the business strategy is digital.
- Assist in the development of the digital capabilities necessary for the company’s digital transformation.
- Drive the push toward an understanding driven association that use the force of information.
- Develop digital talent within the organization by attracting new talent and developing existing staff.
- Ensure that new digital technologies are relevant to the business by championing the process of identifying, testing, evaluating, scaling, or failing.
- Oversee the implementation of digital projects.
Example 2: Chief digital officer job description
Job Role: Chief Digital Officer
Company: XYZ
Location: City, State, Country
Job Type: Full-Time
Industry: IT & IT Services
Job Id: 456789
Salary: $212,811 per year
Job Summary:
A chief digital officer (CDO) is responsible for assisting an organization in maximizing the value of digital information and cutting-edge technologies including the cloud, AI, machine learning, automation, IoT, mobile, and social media.
Roles and Responsibilities:
The chief digital officer, a C-level executive, assists a business in setting and implementing digital initiatives that will monetize data, drive digital revenue, enhance customer experiences and employee engagement, optimize operations, and generate new business value. The following are some of the responsibilities:
- Assist in the organization-wide efforts of digital transformation.
- Utilizing cross-functional partners to make the switch from analog to digital processes, develop and implement a digital strategy.
- Build a digital business technology platform, promote a digital culture, and dismantle data silos.
- Make use of cutting-edge technologies to monetize data gathered from a variety of sources.
- Effectively integrate data analytics into business procedures.
- Make sure that business intelligence systems meet the needs of the organization.
- To figure out the return on investment of digital efforts, develop metrics based on the facts.
- Encourage new product and service marketing and development.
- On social networks and online communities, you can cultivate brand loyalty and grow it.
- Decide key powerhouses and enable them with instruments to advance marking and corporate messages.
- Develop new revenue streams and discover new digital business opportunities.
- Establish external connections with startups, vendors, and third-party stakeholders.
- To keep a fresh digital strategy, keep up with market changes.
Chief Digital Officer Skills and Qualifications:
- Least of five to seven years of involvement with a comparable job planning and sending off computerized stages.
- A proven record of leading digital transformation projects to success.
- Comprehension of fundamental business procedures and their technical solutions.
- A mindset that is creative and disruptive, always looking ahead.
- Experience leading a digital team and managing it.
- Demonstrated abilities in collaboration and influence; as well as an advanced degree in engineering, technology, or business (preference).
Example 3: Chief digital officer job description
Job Role: Chief Digital Officer
Company: XYZ
Location: City, State, Country
Job Type: Full-Time
Industry: IT & IT Services
Job Id: 456789
Salary: $212,811 per year
Job Summary:
For an experienced leader with a track record of digital transformation, we have an exciting opportunity. The ideal candidate will be able to influence at all levels by sharing their digital expertise in a constructive, empowering, and collaborative manner. The chief digital officer will be a driving force in our company’s digital transformation, working closely with the CEO and CTO.
Objectives of this Role:
- Inspire digital innovation and act as a catalyst for change throughout the company.
- By mapping and converting analog processes to digital ones with cross-functional partners, digital strategy can be established and implemented.
- To instill a digital mindset from the top down, be an evangelist for the use of digital technology and practices.
- To assist in the creation of a robust digital ecosystem, make sure partners and coworkers collaborate, share knowledge, and use digital best practices.
- Analyze the return on investment (ROI) of digital projects and adjust strategies as necessary to make sure we’re investing in the right tools and resources.
Roles and Responsibilities:
- For the company’s future, develop a clear and compelling digital strategy.
- Make sure that digital initiatives are fully integrated with the process of strategic planning, including the commitment of leadership and the allocation of resources.
- Produce cutting-edge digital solutions for processes, products, services, customer experiences, marketing channels, and business models by working with teams from all over the company.
- Control and monitor the portfolio of digital innovation projects.
- Establish, maintain, and expand an internal and external digital innovation ecosystem.
- Find new CRM, AI, and digital tools that can help us and improve our solutions.
- Work closely with Human Resources to develop digital capabilities throughout the company and to attract and keep top talent.
Required Skills and Qualifications:
- Five to seven years of experience designing and launching digital platforms in a similar position.
- Proven leadership in digital transformation projects that have been successful.
- Comprehension of fundamental business procedures and the technical solutions that go along with them.
- A mindset that is creative and disruptive, always looking ahead.
- Knowledge of how to lead and manage a digital team.
- Ability to influence others and work well with others in the workplace.
Preferred Skills and Qualifications:
- Advanced degree in business, technology, or engineering
Example 4: Chief digital officer job description
Job Role: Chief Digital Officer (CDO)
Company: Molson Coors Beverage Company
Location: Chicago, IL, US
Job Type: Full-Time
Industry: Food & Beverages
Job Id: 25684
A Career In Beer And Beyond:
Our motivation at Molson Coors Drink Organization is to blend refreshments that join individuals to praise every one of life’s minutes. We’ve been making famous brands for more than 350 years, and now we’re proud to have a modern portfolio that goes beyond beer.
Our culture is based on our core values as Talent Brewers. We believe that diversity WITH inclusion is the key to a winning team culture, as do our brands and our employees. We want you to join our team of brand ambassadors because we think there are many opportunities out there that haven’t been used. Therefore, if you share our enthusiasm for making a real difference as a member of a winning team, we would like to hear from you.
Job Summary:
Our Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) is supervised by the Chief Digital Officer (CDO), who is based in Chicago. The role of leading Molson Coors’ digital strategy and creating new value for our business will be part of the Americas Commercial function.
The CDO ensures that digital initiatives, as well as leadership commitment, resource allocation, and implementation, are fully integrated into the strategic planning process. The individual will collaborate with teams from all over the company to develop cutting-edge digital solutions for our brands and provide an outstanding customer and consumer experience across all channels.
The digital innovation project portfolio is owned by the CDO, ensuring solid ROI and brand integrity. This person promotes collaboration and the sharing of best practices to build a strong digital ecosystem and acts as a digital evangelist.
Responsibilities:
- Most importantly, you will build a team of talented workers who work together and help them grow and develop by talking to them about their careers and having regular one-on-one conversations with them.
- Oversees the eCommerce sales business and initiatives (both B2B and B2C) of MCBC, including: business planning and forecasting, key customer management, the creation of content and solutions, and the improvement of the eCommerce marketing and selling skills of commercial employees.
- Enables brand teams to reach customers across channels with a robust digital strategy and tools. ensures that MCBC takes the lead in the new digital space by effectively developing our digital tools (collaboration with IT).
- Ensures that commercial teams have the appropriate content in the appropriate location at the appropriate time by leading the enterprise content management strategy, procedures, and governance that deliver comprehensive brand experiences across all channels.
- Leads MCBC’s consumer-centered, data-driven precision marketing activation strategies guide creative, brand, and commercial design and implementation on media and other platforms for consumer engagement.
- Provides a first-party data strategy that generates more purposeful brand marketing efforts by providing meaningful consumer insights.
- Promotes the ongoing development of digital capabilities necessary for the Americas’ digital transformation.
Qualifications:
- You truly are a leader. Diversity and inclusion, in your opinion, are the keys to collaboration and a winning team culture. You value and respect differences.
- Ability to turn new digital trends into concrete plans, strategies, and outcomes.
- Credibility to influence our business strategy and commercial execution, strategic thought leadership.
- Strong interpersonal skills to successfully establish relationships with MCBC’s internal leaders as well as customers and retailers to support the company’s commercial objectives.
- 12 or more years of progressive experience in digital marketing and e-commerce, preferably in consumer packaged goods (CPG), with a solid comprehension of the connections and dependencies.
- Having the ability to link strategic goals to concrete actions; locating, developing, and putting into action novel solutions for customers and businesses.
- A track record of success in leading a team that is large, multifunctional, and diverse.
Work Perks:
- Flexible work schedules that encourage a healthy work-life balance include a three-day hybrid work model (delete as necessary).
- We’ve set stretch goals based on our top priorities because we care about our people and the planet.
- Giving back to the community is a part of our culture and who we are because we care about our communities and do our part to make a difference. This can take the form of making donations to charitable organizations or taking to the streets together to build parks.
- Participation in a variety of Employee Resource Groups, which can offer volunteer opportunities, leadership experience, and organization-wide networking.
- Ability to advance professionally by taking advantage of our First Choice Learning opportunities.
- Participation in our Total Rewards program, which offers a competitive base salary, incentive plans, parental leave, health, dental, and vision benefits, a 401(k) with a significant employer match, generous plans for paid time off, and something that keeps you interested. Wellness program and excellent resources for the Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
- Access to cool brand clothing and swag, top events, and, of course, free beer and beverages are all included in the package.
- Work for an innovative, fast-paced company and meet enthusiastic partners and colleagues from a variety of backgrounds.
About Company:
Diversity is important to us at Molson Coors. Different points of view challenge the conventional, generating fresh concepts. We are an employer that welcomes applications from people of all backgrounds, regardless of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, or any other characteristic. We are proud to promote our distinctive brew.
Example 5: Chief digital officer jd
Job Role: Chief Digital Officer (CDO)
Company: Northern Trust Asset Servicing
Location: Chicago, IL, US
Job Type: Full-Time
Industry: Financial Services
About Company:
Globally, Northern Trust offers cutting-edge financial services and advice to businesses, institutions, and affluent families and individuals. We use cutting-edge technology and provide exceptional service to the world’s most sophisticated clients. We have nearly 20,000 partners and more than 130 years of financial experience.
We are going through a metamorphosis right now, starting with our Wealth Management (WM) business, where we are adopting Agile methods of working and investigating new technologies like cloud computing, microservices architecture, predictive analytics, artificial intelligence, machine learning, blockchain, and other similar concepts. This includes bringing our data and analytics capabilities up to date and establishing a culture that is data-driven throughout the organization.
Why Us:
You will be a part of a flexible and collaborative work environment as a partner at Northern Trust, which has a long and successful financial history. You can be proud to work for a company that is committed to strengthening the communities we serve, and movement within the organization is encouraged, senior leaders are accessible, and you can take pride in your position.
The people at Northern Trust are truly transforming the organization’s image. We share a passion for working quickly, influencing each partner, and focusing on improving the client experience.
People are our greatest asset, so if you truly want to work in an agile, inclusive, fast-paced environment that values teamwork, problem-solving expertise, deadline management, ongoing and comprehensive communication, constant attention to detail, and a commitment to continuous improvement, then look no further!
Job Summary:
You will create and implement an end-to-end data strategy and roadmap to support the Tech strategy, goals, and objectives as the Chief Digital Officer (CDO) for Technology. Additionally, you will serve as Tech’s representative on the Enterprise Data Governance Steering Committee.
To define our information assets, transform data into business value at scale, democratize data by developing self-service capabilities, and establish a leading Data and Analytics organization, you will develop and oversee the Tech data strategy, analytics, reporting, and platforms.
You are a senior leader with a long history of successfully transforming data and analytics in data-heavy, complex, and compliance-intensive environments.
You will be in charge of a high-performing, cross-discipline capability with extensive knowledge of data science, risk management, process optimization, and data analytics and visualization.
Job Requirements:
- Have worked in business insights, data governance, data architecture, data science and analytics, and team building.
- Know how to create a compelling data strategy and architecture that will help you unlock the value of data assets that are distributed across a complex and dispersed data ecosystem.
- Possess exceptional executive communication skills, able to link data strategy, data and analytics initiatives, and business strategy to outcomes.
- Are analytical, imaginative, able to work together, and accustomed to driving change and transforming the most valuable concepts into plans, products, and outcomes that can be implemented.
- Is an effective collaborator who has previous experience leading initiatives and collaborating with a variety of groups and stakeholders?
- Are familiar with data practices and tools, such as the Operational Data Store, Master Data Management, and Data Lakes, such as Tableau, Power BI, Azure, Oracle, Snowflake, Python, R, and Incorta.
Responsibilities:
You’ll collaborate with our cross-functional agile teams closely. We welcome your assistance in expanding our community and cherish and nurture our multicultural and inclusive culture. You will be responsible for:
- To ensure that strategies, plans, and actions are carried out in accordance with the Enterprise Data Governance Policy and Strategy, define the vision and develop a robust operating model for tech leadership and practices.
- Partner with stakeholders from all over the organization, establishing trustworthy relationships that make it possible to collaborate and consult effectively to understand the business’s needs and provide expected value.
- Develops data-driven solutions that enable stakeholders to identify risks in close to real time, provides a view into the operating effectiveness of their controls, and identifies opportunities to optimize controls through automation and advanced analytics as a subject matter expert in risk and control.
- Identifies objectives, key results (OKRs), and key performance indicators (KPIs) that give leadership a clear understanding of their business’s operational effectiveness.
- Enables the ability to prioritize and verify the success of department investments and initiatives by providing management and operational reporting to the Technology Leadership Team.
- Automate data quality and control methods; Identify and resolve key conflicts or obstacles; encourage areas of change or process change; and actively collaborate with digital product and service excellence teams to develop a program that is well-informed, educated, and in line with the field.
- Ensure data safety while meeting the needs of our customers, regulators, and shareholders.
- Engage senior leadership in proactive advocacy for the significance of information (data) as a strategic business asset.
- With improved data insights and simplified publishing and access, you can create a virtuous cycle of platform adoption.
- Establish a culture of experimentation and innovation.
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