CDO Matters Ep. 52 | Building a CDO Function from Scratch
Jun 13, 2024
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Joyce Myers, CDO of MTSI, shares insights on building a data function from scratch. Topics include leadership buy-in, stakeholder support, overcoming resistance to change, aligning with strategic plans, establishing metrics for company strategy, and driving business value through strategic foundations.
Building stakeholder relationships is crucial for CDO success.
Prioritizing foundational work over extensive technology investments leads to sustainable wins.
Deep dives
Joyce's Journey from Army Logistics to CDO of MTSI
Joyce's background started in the Army, gaining extensive experience in manual data processes. She transitioned from military to defense contracting and Department of the Army civilian roles, managing data. Her journey and expertise prepared her to become the CDO at MTSI, focusing on building a data and analytics foundation from scratch.
The Importance of Organizational Support and Relationship Building
Joyce emphasizes the significance of stakeholder support and relationship building within MTSI. By engaging with leadership across executive and business unit levels, Joyce establishes connections and garners support for data initiatives. She highlights the value of championing and cultivating supporters to drive data-driven decisions.
Initial Focus on Business Process Optimization
Starting her role at MTSI, Joyce prioritized mapping and optimizing a core business process. By engaging with an executive sponsor and focusing on this process, she aims to deliver sustainable wins that align with the company's strategic objectives. This approach emphasizes foundational work before extensive technology investments.
Balanced Approach to Technology Adoption
While acknowledging the importance of technology, Joyce adopts a cautious and strategic approach. She maximizes existing tools and resources, ensuring alignment with business value and needs. Rather than rushing into costly technological solutions, she emphasizes understanding the problem first to drive meaningful investments.
While many CDO’s inherit large teams, it’s also common for CDO’s to be hired into a role with the expectation they will build a data and analytics function slowly over time.
In this episode of the CDO Matters podcast, Joyce Myers, the CDO of Modern Technology Solutions Inc (MTSI), shares her insights on how she’s overcoming the many challenges that accompany CDOs who are starting small, and are highly reliant on the engagement of other teams for their individual success.