The CDO Survey

The 2025 report marks the fourth year of our annual CDO survey, offering a unique perspective on the evolution of the CDO leadership role.

Our interactions with CDOs to date show there is no one-size-fits-all approach to becoming a ‘successful’ CDO, due to the depth and breadth of the role, and the varying role of data across each organisation. Whilst some look to explore next-generation technology and stay ahead of the curve, others are prioritising establishing robust foundations that set up an organisation to use data in the right way. 
 

Who is the role of the Chief Data Officer?

The Chief Data Officer (CDO) is a pivotal strategic leader responsible for driving value from an organisation's data assets to enable overall organisational success.

A key part of a CDO’s roles and responsibilities is to harness the full potential of their organisation’s data. CDOs require a blend of strong business acumen and a deep understanding of organisational objectives that will enable them to translate data capabilities into tangible business outcomes.

Insights from the 2025 CDO survey 
 

What are core priorities for CDOs over the next 12 months?

Data governance was the top priority for the year ahead at 51%, demonstrating a continued focus on establishing strong data foundations.

Results also showed that those in organisations with higher perceived maturity are prioritising AI/Generative AI (67%) and the development of data products (56%) to exploit cutting-edge technologies and create tangible, value-driven offerings from their data, whereas those in organisations with lower perceived maturity are focusing on Data Governance (63%) and Data Strategy (41%).

How are CDO teams evolving?

Data remains a highly sought-after skill, with 54% of CDOs stating that the size of their team had increased over the last year, with 63% anticipating further growth in the next 12 months. 

How has the CDO budget changed?

Results show a variation in how the CDO’s budget has changed over the past 12 months, with the largest proportion stating that their budgets have remained the same. 

However, when looking at overall data spend across the organisation, 56% identified an overall increase in data spend.

The Influence of the CDO

Despite 87% of CDOs reporting directly into the C-Suite, many (54%) believe they are currently less influential than other C-Suite stakeholders but expect to see a shift towards being more influential over the next five years.

What outcomes are CDOs delivering?

Results show that CDOs are driving tangible business outcomes across their organisations, with 64% reporting a direct improvement in the impact of data initiatives on driving the use of AI and analytics over the past 12 months.

However, we’re also seeing that 47% of CDOs outline that competing organisational priorities hinder their ability to realise the full value of data, and nearly half of CDOs (48%) cite budget and resource limitations as a key challenge in driving AI adoption.