My ideal profile of a Chief Digital Officer

My blog post“Why every company should have a Chief Digital Officer” from last week was widely read and I was asked about it several times. The question arose as to what kind of profile such a person should have who takes up the position of Chief Digital Officer. I think that’s an interesting question. So here is my attempt to outline a profile of the ideal CDO.

I think the following aspects are important:

Ready to communicate
The ideal candidate should be a good communicator. This means being able to deal with feedback and suggestions on all channels, quickly, purposefully and in a way that is appropriate for the target group. Not an obsessive communicator, but simply a person you enjoy talking to. They should not force communication, but be ready for communication when it arises. In the process of transformation, he has the operational role of moderator. Languages are always good. Each additional one is a plus.

Integrative

Whoever only does what he has always done will always remain what he has always been. (Henry Ford)

As the aim is to change a company and therefore also the way employees do their work, this inevitably leads to tensions, as with any change process. My dream CDO can have an integrative effect in such tensions, connects, loosens up and brings people together again in new constellations. As he remains calm even in hectic situations and gives employees their space, he becomes a person of trust for employees throughout the company.

Technology and internet savvy
The CDO has a broad knowledge of technological topics. This does not mean that they understand every line of code. But it should mean that he can recognize quality and correctly assess technical people. He is fascinated by technology, especially Internet technology. He knows the history of the Internet because he has experienced it himself. He has already found a road on a paper map in his car and is generally interested in how society deals with technical innovations. He knows the figures on Internet usage behavior inside out.

Business background
A business background is essential in order to understand the projects and prepare the basis for decision-making. Any experience in process analysis, organizational development or similar can only help.

Strong presenter
Since it is important to convince people and take them with you, the CDO must be able to present his or her case well. By that I don’t mean showing 300 slides and having the best possible timing or whatever. I simply mean being able to convey his idea of a project to 15 people off the cuff, so to speak, with a blank flipchart and a sharpie, without any preparation, in such a way that the facts are clearly understood and people are enthusiastic about the project.

Project experience
Project experience is very important. It is not necessarily the successful projects that are decisive (yes, of course these should be in the vast majority), but the unsuccessful ones. I wouldn’t want to hire someone who hasn’t already failed a project. These are experiences that you normally only have once, but which contribute significantly to projects running much better in the future. So ask about the failed projects, it will be much more fruitful than talking about the successful ones.

Agency experience
My ideal candidate has already worked in an agency as a sales engineer, consultant or project manager. He knows that impossible briefings and RFPs arrive there every day and that the agencies try their best to put together an offer. He also knows that these offers usually achieve the exact opposite of what the tenderer actually wanted: Comparability, objective selection. He uses this experience to select and work with external partners more quickly, with less effort and in a more targeted manner.

What have I forgotten? What other requirements should I list?