Is There a CDO at the Right Hand of the CEO?

There is a new development that’s making CIOs and many CMOs uncomfortable in their seats. In many organizations, a new C-suite title is in demand. Introducing the Chief Digital Officer or CDO.

By 2015, more than 25 percent of organizations will have a CDO playing a strategic role, according to Gartner.

This shuffle in the technology power structure may not go down well for many; however it is the change that inevitably has to be adopted. The main role of the CDOs is off course, to be in charge of digital business strategies, in building digital property and developing business models on which the future of organizations will depend, in this digital frenzy landscape.

In the digital sphere today, keeping up with new technology and customer preferences and behavior has to be seamlessly integrated with digital strategies. CDOs are the new bridge between enterprises and customers, they are the new ‘technology and marketing change agents’.

With the introduction of an external executive, reporting directly to the CEO, with the authority to re-shuffle organization structures and spend big dollars on bigger plans; CIOs and CMOs already feel they are being moved to smaller cabins and darker corners. 

As with all things digital, CDOs will come and go. Once their role has translated to transforming organizations, where will they go? Will they be the next digital CEO?

Either which way, the role of the C-Suite is ever expansive and their focus is getting more structured. The mantra today when connecting with the C-suite is ‘To Be Relevant or Be Ignored!’