The CDO Is No Elixir

If Big Data is really a big deal, then don't organizations need to formalize and legitimize it with a formal C-level position?

It's a question that enterprises are asking themselves today; there's never been a greater buzz about about the Chief Data Officer. Posts and thoughts advocating the creation of this new position aren't exactly wanting. For instance, in a post called Is Visualizing Data Enough?, Brad Roberts writes:

So how can companies keep their BI priorities straight? A very good solution is one that we’ve discussed often recently: establish the office of Chief Data Officer and give that person ultimate control over the flow of all data inside the company. Because he or she has responsibility for making the most effective distribution and use of company data, the CDO alone is in a position to bring some rationality to those priorities. In the long run, just this decision – and the savings on misdirected or premature purchasing decisions—will pay for the creation of this new C-level job.

Let's really examine the need for a proper CDO.