According to the Mindtree study, 74% of c-level IT executives said that their chief digital officer had clearly defined duties, despite a previous perception that the role is ambiguous.
Additionally, 76% expressed belief that the chief digital officer is needed more in comparison to when the role was first established, and 81% said that their duties are distinctive enough for their presence to be needed within their workplace.
Treading the path to a successful digital transformation
The most identified duties, according to Mindtree‘s study, were a deep understanding of tech (61%), and an ability to see through digital strategies.
It’s not all plain sailing for the chief digital officer, however. The study also found that the role has its challenges, including change-resistant company culture (32%), while the lowest-ranked accomplishment for participants was ‘changing the culture to iterate faster’.
Digital transformation – how to bring through your back office culture
“As enterprises make progress with digital transformation and discover new possibilities to reinvent their businesses, leaders across industries are making long-term investments in organisation capabilities and leadership,” said Sreedhar Bhagavatheeswaran, SVP and head of digital at Mindtree.
“We’re not surprised that the CDO role is not seen as a limited duration project or initiative leadership role, but much more of a long-term change agent.
“Our conversations with executives show that it’s a pivotal role for enterprises to fully embrace the potential of digital technologies.
“With technology change accelerating, the CDO needs to master technologies like cloud and AI and deeply understand the business to be successful. They also need to understand organisational culture and navigate change management expertly to succeed.”
The study, which was carried out in partnership with Researchscape International, surveyed 323 respondents from the UK and US.
