The Most Popular Topics for CDAOs from 2024

In 2024, CDAOs experienced a transformative year as organizations navigated evolving technologies, increased demands for data, and the pressure to remain competitive. Throughout the year, members of 13 global CDAO communities convened 58 times at Executive Summits, Inner Circles, and Town Halls.

Each gathering featured content designed By CDAOs, For CDAOs™, addressing the most pressing goals and challenges faced by leaders. This year, the top three priorities for D&A leaders were generative and traditional AI, data and analytics strategy and data governance governance.

Here’s a look back at some of the most popular sessions that explored these topics and more:

Highly-Rated Sessions By CDAOs, For CDAOs

Keynote: Unfiltered Truth – Breaking Down Barriers in Data Story at the Boston CDAO Executive Summit

Kamal Distell, VP, Head of Data Analytics and Data Science at Toyota North America, and Joseph Dery, Vice President and Dean of Data Analytics at Western Governors University, came together for a candid, no-holds-barred fireside chat to share bold and creative methods for solving problems with data. One attendee said: “A fun, practical set of ideas for better storytelling!”

Keynote: Elevating to Change Agent – How Data & Analytics Leaders Can Level Up at the Southern California Executive Summit

Data leaders are increasingly focused on tying initiatives to business impact. Zoher Karu, CDAO at Blue Shield California, shared his story of developing his team to become true business enablers. A data leader in attendance remarked, “Thanks for emphasizing that we are here to solve business problems.”

Breakout Session: Navigating AI Governance at the Atlanta CDAO Executive Summit

As AI technologies evolve, CDAOs are tasked with developing governance policies and programs that foster innovation while protecting from ethical and privacy risks. In this session, Global Head of AI Governance at Equifax Ritu Sharma shared best practices and innovative approaches for AI governance. 

Breakout Session: Advancing Machine Learning from Plan to Performance at the San Francisco CDAO Executive Summit

Kapil Gupta, SVP & Head of Machine Learning & Data Science at ANGI Homeservices, shared real-world applications and practical insights on developing scalable machine learning prototypes. A participant commented that the session was a “concrete presentation with real use cases and was very informative on how he handled a variety of problems in his journey.”

Town Hall: Data Readiness to Prepare for AI

A recurring theme across all CDAO communities this year was the importance of establishing a strong data foundation to implement effective AI strategies. Data leaders from Chicago, Washington D.C., Southern California, Dallas, and Toronto all convened in their respective communities to engage in small group discussions, collaborate, and share insights in this Town Hall series. 
 

Most Popular Content for CDAOs

• Infographic: 2024 CDAO Leadership Perspectives
  More than 350 CDAOs shared their mission critical priorities and planned investments in our annual Leadership Perspective Survey – here’s what they reported.
• Executive Blog: The Two Fundamental Building Blocks to Data Driven Business Value
  In this Executive Blog, Dr. Ansar Kassim, Head of Analytics & Insights at Verizon and Community Member of Evanta's New York CDAO Community, shares what he thinks is foundational to drive business value with data.
• Blog: Three Key Themes for CDAOs in 2024
  With advancements in AI leading to a data revolution, this blog dives into the three themes we expected CDAOs to focus on in 2024.
• Blog: CDAOs’ Top 7 Trends for 2024
  Here, we explored emerging trends from our annual CDAO Leadership Perspective Survey on the top priorities and investment areas for data leaders in 2024.
• Executive Blog: 3 Best Practices for Creating an Effective Data Strategy
  In this Executive Blog, Governing Body Member Amitabh Seli, CDAO, Director Data UK at Danone, shares his best practices in establishing a data strategy that is aligned to the business strategy and how to demonstrate the value to the organization.

As we move into 2025, CDAOs will continue to depend on their communities as a vital resource for advancing the data and analytics field. In the new year, data leaders can expect to focus on the following three themes:

1. Linking Data, Analytics, and AI Initiatives to Business Value
2. Maturing D&A Culture with Data Democratization and Self-Service Analytics
3. Modernizing Data Governance to Adopt and Scale Advanced D&A and AI Capabilities

If you are a D&A leader looking to validate strategies with your CDAO peers, apply to join your local CDAO community. Or, if you are already a member, sign in to MyEvanta to find upcoming opportunities to connect with your community.