The Joe Reis Show Data as the Fourth Pillar: How CDOs Can Move from "Cost Center" to "Offense" with Sujay Dutta and Siddharth Rajagopal
Nov 5, 2025
Sujay Dutta, a seasoned data executive at Databricks, and Siddharth Rajagopal, a former Informatica leader, delve into the pivotal role of data as a core component of business alongside technology, processes, and people. They tackle how Chief Data Officers can shift from being seen as a cost center to driving business value by understanding data demand. The duo introduces frameworks like 'Data Intensity' and warns against the consequences of poor data management, all while advocating for the CDO's direct reporting to the CEO to empower data strategy.
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Data As The Fourth Pillar
- AI demands elevating data to the same level as people, process, and technology to unlock business value.
- Sujay argues data must be managed proactively rather than treated as an invisible byproduct.
Payments Company Where Data Is First
- A Middle Eastern payments firm told Sujay data is its first pillar because analytics drive merchant services and advertising.
- That company monetizes transaction data to move beyond commodity payment margins.
Start With Demand, Not Supply
- Focus your first 90 days on the demand side: talk to business functions to understand how data could improve outcomes.
- Calculate Total Addressable Value (TAV) and track Expected vs Realized Value to prioritize efforts.