BigID's Data Leaders Series: Week 2- Evolution of a Chief Data Officer and Data Governance Practices with AI

By: Sara Diaz, Business Analyst Intern at BigID

The second installment of BigID’s Data Leader Series: AI Fundamentals for Business Execs swung into full action this week. This session, "Evolution of a Chief Data Officer and Data Governance Practices with AI” explored the critical aspects of implementing AI technologies in business, offering executives valuable insights and practical strategies. Participants learned about the evolving role of a Chief Data Officer and the collaborative responsibilities of C-suite executives in AI, privacy, and security. After an insightful introduction to the session, Peggy Tsai, CDO at BigID, and Shalonda Willis, Senior Demand Generation Manager at BigID, opened up with some poll questions for the audience leading to some interesting insights. In response to a poll asking about the primary focus of a CDO’s role in the AI and data governance era, the popular vote swayed to choice A, “ensuring data privacy and security compliance across the organization,” garnering a 54% majority. The second poll had similar results, but choice A, “balancing the need for data accessibility with privacy and security concerns,” came out on top with 36% of respondents selecting it as the best choice. 

Tsai and Willis then swiftly switched gears into another successful game of “Is It AI?: Art Edition” puzzling participants from differentiating hyperrealistic AI art images from human art.

Our first speaker, John Bottega, President of EDM Council plus AI Cloud Framework, Our first speaker, John Bottega, President of EDM Council plus AI Cloud Framework, delved into an enlightening presentation on the evolving role of a Chief Data Officer and the importance of data management. Bottega highlighted the complexity of contemporary data management endeavors, emphasizing the necessity for improved salesmanship in advocating for data initiatives. Addressing a diverse array of professionals in attendance, Bottega delineated the broad scope of data management responsibilities, spanning areas such as data democratization and blockchain, all within the overarching influence of AI technologies.

Drawing on personal anecdotes, including experiences with AI-integrated golfing equipment, Bottega highlighted the omnipresence and historical roots of AI, dating back to neural network applications in the US Navy. Furthermore, Bottega emphasized the evolving role of Chief Data Officers (CDOs), tracing their journey from a primarily back-office function to pivotal agents driving innovation and ethical considerations in the data and AI landscape.

Bottega succinctly articulated that “Data quality is really just a metric of your business process. If you have effective business processes, you develop good data. If those processes are questionable, if they allow unethical data, if they, introduce, risks around data privacy or data security, that's what data quality is gonna start to give you indications of. Data quality is that canary in the coal mine,” emphasizing the critical connection between business processes and data quality, emphasizing the need for ethical and secure data handling practices.

 “Data quality is really just a metric of your business process. If you have effective business processes, you develop good data. If those processes are questionable, if they allow unethical data, if they, introduce, risks around data privacy or data security, that's what data quality is gonna start to give you indications of. Data quality is that canary in the coal mine,” –John Bottega, President of EDM Council

The session also delved into essential frameworks such as the Data Management Capability Assessment Model (DCAM) and the Cloud Data Management Capability (CDMC) framework, endorsed by international regulators and tailored for cloud environments, respectively. CDMC was noted for its focus on accessibility, usage, controls, and ethical use of data, with a caution against simply lifting and shifting data to the cloud without ensuring proper privacy and protection measures. Bottega stressed, “CDMC talks about getting these things right before you move data into the cloud, ensuring that you have proper privacy and protection.”

In addition, Bottega elaborated on the comprehensive role of a CDO: “A CDO is a senior executive responsible for overseeing an organization's most critical asset—its data—through the application of foundational data management. All the things we talked about, strategy, architecture, governance, et cetera. The CDO must ensure that the information they're responsible for is accurate, timely, protected, and above all trusted. And it's only then can we as a profession leverage all these incredible technologies.” 

Bottega further asserted the pivotal role data management plays in modern organizations: “Data management is not a back-office function anymore. We have an incredible impact on our companies and our society. We have to understand that and take that on as a responsibility.” Discussion points extended to the symbiotic relationship between CDOs and Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs), stressing the importance of collaboration and mutual support in safeguarding data assets. In response to questions about organizational structures, Bottega advocated for a balanced approach, ensuring that the CDO’s focus remains aligned with core data management functions while avoiding undue burdens. As the session drew to a close, Bottega invoked the timeless wisdom of our neighborhood friendly Spider-Man, reminding attendees that “With great power comes great responsibility,” regarding their roles in the data ecosystem.

“Data management is not a back-office function anymore. We have an incredible impact on our companies and our society. We have to understand that and take that on as a responsibility.”- John Bottega, President of EDM Council

Our next guest speaker, Scott Beange, Head of Data Management at Projective Group, delivered a perceptive presentation on data management and strategy. He highlighted the organization's core practices, including Data Talent, Payments, Risk & Compliance, IT and information security, and the Dutch Pensions Agreement (WTP). These practices support clients in adapting to today’s challenges with deep SME knowledge.

Projective Group focuses on three strategic pillars: AI, ESG, and Operational Resilience. They conduct AI risk assessments, evaluate use cases, and develop semantic layers and taxonomies. For ESG, they navigate regulatory landscapes, understand materiality, set strategies, and goals, and enhance ESG data and tooling. Operational Resilience efforts include ensuring DORA compliance, conducting maturity assessments, scenario testing, and fostering business adoption. Scott emphasized the importance of AI readiness, stating, "Your organization is ready for AI, but is your data ready?"

Projective Group's data services guide clients through five key steps to maximize data value: defining a data strategy, deploying infrastructure, cataloging and understanding data, integrating systems’ data, and analyzing and monetizing data. Their solutions include Data Management & Strategy, Cloud & Infrastructure Transformation, Data Engineering, and AI/Analytics, designed to support business objectives and drive operations. Beange highlighted the significance of cost management in data services: "Established cost management is really important. What's this cost going to be? Am I actually saving money by having this data in the cloud? In some cases, you're actually not."

Key business outcomes include improving reporting and decision-making, enhancing customer experience, achieving cost efficiency, generating revenue, ensuring regulatory compliance, mitigating risks, and promoting sustainability. Scott also discussed cloud data management challenges, such as data security, governance, cost management, cross-border transfers, regulatory compliance, and cloud migration. Beange remarked, "Cross-border transfers now increasing regulation on the movement of data around the globe. So, you've gotta understand where that data is moving and ensure you have the appropriate controls." Tsai added, "Organizations are building their AI systems on the cloud. They're doing their cloud computing on the cloud, they are moving data across borders. It's all done on the cloud, and it's more important than ever, especially with all the regulations around AI, that companies need to know and govern their cloud better than they do today."

The assessment phases involve confirming strategy and objectives, conducting a current state assessment, documenting findings and next steps, producing a strategic data roadmap, and reviewing outputs. These phases align data management capabilities with business objectives, benchmark against industry standards, and develop a strategic roadmap. Scott pointed out the importance of automation in data management, saying, "You don't want AI to be a manual process. More and more AI-based capabilities are being integrated into solutions, supporting increased automation, which is one of the goals of this framework."

"You don't want AI to be a manual process. More and more AI-based capabilities are being integrated into solutions, supporting increased automation, which is one of the goals of this framework."- Scott Beange, Head of Data Management, Projective Group

This week’s series ended with Justin Heller, CDO at Synchrony Financial, who geared the audience with some valuable insights. Heller highlighted the importance of the role of a CDO and explored some of the key data minimization essentials. As the CDO at Synchrony Financial, Heller shoulders the responsibility for crafting and implementing the comprehensive enterprise data strategy and governance framework. In his role, Heller establishes the benchmarks dictating the definition, measurement, and accessibility of our data across various business functions, encompassing analytics and regulatory reporting, all while ensuring adherence to stringent governance protocols throughout its lifecycle, ultimately serving the needs of our customers and clients. 

Recognizing the dual role of data in fueling innovation and managing risk, Heller emphasizes the pivotal role of data management in driving organizational success. Heller outlines a roadmap for the audience by sharing the Four Facets to Success: partner and align data privacy, protection, and data management programs; obtain sponsorship; establish a working group to manage change; and formulate strategy. He continues by advising a simple strategy for implementing these facets: simplify, automate, and de-identify. 

Here at BigID, we aim to help organizations navigate the complex landscape of data management and governance, empowering them to maximize the value of their data assets while ensuring compliance, security, and ethical use throughout the data lifecycle. If you're interested in learning more about privacy, security, strategy, and governance practices in AI and data, you can go to BigID's website and attend our workshops and webinars on the BigID University page.

Stay tuned for additional sessions on AI Fundamentals for Business Executives on June 4th where we will discuss incorporating security protection in AI systems and leveraging AI inside your security programs.