By: Julia McCormick
When listening to John Walsh’s presentation at the latest Beer & Analytics in Ottawa this past May, one thing he said really stuck with me. He said that no university, college, program, or degree is setting up young professionals with the skills and understanding of the data agenda standards that the Government of Canada has set for organizations. Resultantly, Chief Data Offices are lacking the assistance needed to transform their departments to meet these standards.
It struck me because, while we do not yet have certifications, degrees, or designations to label people as “CDO-Standard,” we at Bronson definitely have people who have the experience.
Let’s break down exactly the kinds of skills and abilities that are applicable to the CDO office:
- Data Strategy ✅ Check! We’ve got it!
- Data-Driven Culture ✅ Check! We’ve got it!
- Alignment of Data Strategy with Business Strategy ✅ Check! We’ve got it!
- Overseeing Data Management ✅ Check! We’ve got it!
At Bronson, we function in a data-driven manner, understanding that departments and whole organizations can be bettered with a deeper understanding and use of data assets. We also consistently maintain an alignment of our data and business strategies as we believe they go hand-in hand. Data insights are the driver of great business decisions.
It is not only crucial to have the skills listed above, but also to understand the interdependencies across disciplines and departments. As John Walsh also pointed out in his presentation, it is critical to treat data as a corporate asset.
I myself have advised leaders in setting up the CDO, done the leg work to sort out all of the elements of Digital Transformation and Modernization, worked with the CDO on Terms of Reference, and assessed readiness for the Digital Transformation of departments.
I have worked with colleagues on data strategy and data management solutions and know of projects that which my Bronson colleagues are engaged that similarly cover the gamut of skills and experience the CDO will need to get things up and running and set things in smooth motion.
Some examples of our project work in Data and Analytics can be found on Our Projects page, though this is just a sampling of what we can offer. Give us a call or send us an email to get acquainted with our talent and discover how we can help to get your CDO office up to par with Government standards and facilitate alignment across employees and departments in your organization.
