The Chief Data Officer is arguably one of the most important roles at a company, particularly those that aspire to be data-driven. CDO appointments and the elevation of data leaders have accelerated in recent years, and the role has morphed as perceptions of data have evolved. Responsibilities span strategy and execution, people and processes, and the technology needed to deliver on the promise of data. Data leaders are increasingly evaluated against the business value they deliver to the organization. Yet according to a recent CDO study conducted by MIT CDOIQ, a whopping 62% believe their role is less understood than other C-level roles.
At the same time, the growth of data is accelerating, driving an even greater need for data leadership. To better understand how companies navigate new opportunities, Snowflake commissioned a survey of over 1,000 senior business and technology executives across 8 countries and 5 industries, and published How to Win in the Data Economy. Companies considered Data Economy Leaders—those with the ability to access data and collaborate with data—are more likely to designate a data leader and to report better business performance. Data leaders deliver.
A CDO’s impact shouldn’t go unnoticed or unappreciated, and so Snowflake is excited to announce our first-ever “Data Leaders to Watch.” To help spotlight the role of the Chief Data Officer, and others with similar responsibilities, Snowflake has identified 30 individuals who we believe exemplify the qualities necessary to advance the data agenda.
While it’s not a comprehensive list of CDOs that Snowflake believes are driving change within their organizations, we want to highlight a few who embody the qualities Snowflake believes are critical to success. These leaders are progressive thinkers leveraging the data economy and Snowflake to drive innovation, foster collaboration, and prepare their organizations for the future.
The following individuals were identified as leaders in the CDO space as they challenge the limitations of their cloud providers to adopt modern, forward-thinking technologies and prioritize data collaboration to keep pace with an ever-changing market, all while maintaining the highest market visibility through speaking engagements and community activation.
Here are 30 Data Leaders to watch in 2023:
- Adrian Pearce, Group CDO, Credit Suisse
- Andy Markus, CDO, AT&T
- Aravind Jagannathan, Vice President – CDO, Freddie Mac
- Ashok Chennuru, Chief Data & Analytics Officer, Elevance Health
- Bradley Blyth, CIO, Kmart Australia
- Chris Crook, CIO, Priority Health
- Craig Brabec, Senior Vice President, Chief Data Analytics Officer, Best Buy
- Dan Noel Natindim, Vice President, Enterprise Data Office, Globe Telecom
- Danielle Crop, CDO, Albertsons
- Debbie Juantorena, VP Enterprise Data Solutions and Engineering, Pfizer
- Diana Hoskins Schildhouse, Chief Analytics and Insights Officer, Colgate
- Dirk Jungnickel, Senior VP Enterprise Analytics & Intelligence, Emirates
- Helen Hunter, CTO Customer and Data, Sainsbury’s
- Jack Berkowitz, CDO, ADP
- Jaya Kolhatkar, EVP, Data at Disney Streaming
- Joyce Drohan, Chief Data Officer, Global Head of Data and SVP, Sanofi
- Michael Gillespie, Group Chief Digital and Experience Officer (CDXO), Domino’s
- Mihir Shah, CIO & Enterprise Head of Data Architecture and Engineering, Fidelity Investment
- Moin Haque, EVP & CDO, Warner Music Group
- Neema Raphael, Partner and Chief Data Officer, Goldman Sachs
- Pete Williams, Director of Data, Penguin House UK
- Pilmoon Jeong, CIO, Korean Air
- Roger Sniezek, CDO, Wesfarmers OneDigital
- Sanda Ivankovic, Group CDO, Allianz
- Saraubh Parikh, Chief Data & Innovation Officer (CDIO), CONA
- Sheila Jordan, Chief Digital Technology Officer, Honeywell
- Todd James, Chief Data & Technology Officer, 84.51
- Vikrant Bhan, Group Head Analytics, Data and Integration, Nestlé
- Yuta Hishinuma, CTO, Chura Data Inc.
- Zachery Anderson, Chief Data and Analytics Officer, NatWest Group
As Thomas Edison said, “The value of an idea lies in the use of it.” The same is true for data. These data leaders have built comprehensive data infrastructures, established robust data governance, and encouraged data cultures within their organizations. All of this promotes and enables greater use of data, driving innovation and ultimately business value.