EGON-ZEHNDER
11.6.2019 09:02:08 CEST | Business Wire | Press release
A global study of the first generation of Chief Digital Officers has found that evolving company culture is proving a significant challenge, with the majority (54%) spending more time evangelizing within their business than executing their digital strategy.
Egon Zehnder, the world’s leadership consulting firm, surveyed CDOs in large companies across 20 countries globally, whose combined revenues total $1 trillion, to explore their expectations and experiences and identify the actions leaders should take to accelerate digital transformation within their organizations.
The study, CDO Decoded: The First Wave of CDOs Speaks , also shows there is still little shared understanding of the role and responsibilities of a CDO. While lines of reporting and key responsibilities vary widely, what unites this group is their pioneering status - the overwhelming majority are the first to hold this role in their organization.
“Organizations and - it turns out - CDOs themselves are still working out what it means to be the CDO,” said Lindsay Trout, Global Digital Practice Leader at Egon Zehnder. “It’s clear though that the experiences of this first generation will shape the direction businesses take in the future.”
CDOs also questioned whether a digital-only role will become obsolete over time. Rob Barger, CDO of Georgia-Pacific, said: “I should not exist in this role in five years.”
Key research findings
The challenges of culture change
- While just 10% of CDOs saw their primary role as evolving company culture, 54% said they spend more time on evangelizing than executing.
- 80% of respondents found that evolving company culture was either more difficult or much more difficult than they expected. 68% also cited integration of data and breaking down silos.
- Just 25% CDOs thought their organizations were ready for digital transformation when they were first hired.
- Executive commitment and company culture were cited as the two most critical factors in achieving digital transformation by 58% and 57% of CDOs, respectively.
Who today’s CDOs are
- This is a group of pioneers - 84% are the first to hold a CDO role in their organization and 65% have been in the role for three years or less.
- CDO is a senior role - 63% report directly to the CEO.
The confidence and ambitions of CDOs
- 42% of CDOs believe their next job would be a CEO role.
- 50% said the scope of impact was their primary reason for taking on the CDO role.
Recommendations
Egon Zehnder recommends several actions to ensure the success of a CDO, including:
- Hire evangelists AND executors: If internal culture change will be required, choose a CDO capable of rallying teams and expressing a vision.
- Make sure the C-suite gets it: The CEO must ensure the C-suite, including the CFO as well as other P&L leaders, understands the CDO role and supports investment in digital transformation.
- Don’t forget about culture: Nothing happens without organizational buy-in.
- Give the CDO freedom to build a strong team : Many CDOs build teams that are a combination of new talent and expertise and legacy.
- Be willing to measure success in different ways: The CDO must have the right to develop and use their own benchmarks, even in parts of the business that they are not in charge of.
Further information
To read the full CDO Decoded report visit www.egonzehnder.com/cdo-decoded
NOTES TO EDITORS
About the 2019 CDO Survey
Egon Zehnder conducted in-depth surveys with 107 CDOs in 20 countries during December 2018.
About Egon Zehnder
Egon Zehnder is the world’s leadership consulting firm, sharing one goal: to transform people, organizations and the world through great leadership.
We know what great leaders can do and are passionate about delivering the best leadership solutions for our clients.
As One Firm, our more than 480 Consultants in 68 offices and 40 countries bring our individual strengths to form one powerful collaborative team.
We partner closely with public and private corporations, family-owned enterprises, and non-profit and government agencies to provide Board advisory services, CEO search and succession, executive search, executive assessment, leadership development and organizational transformation.
We offer a range of integrated services to support our leadership consulting work, such as: our investment in Zurich, Switzerland-based Sinequanon (SQN), a firm that uses AI and advanced analytics to improve workplace culture and performance, and our strategic alliance with Mobius Executive Leadership, the London and Cambridge, MA based leadership development firm, which delivers customized executive development programs at the CEO and executive levels that enable breakthroughs often described by participants as “life changing.” In addition, we have partnered with Paradox Strategies, the consulting firm co-founded by Harvard University Professor Linda Hill, to develop the Innovation Quotient (IQ), a proprietary culture diagnostic based on Hill’s research that helps clients better understand the degree to which their cultures enable – or inhibit – their ability to innovate.
We share a commitment and pride in doing work that contributes to successful careers, stronger companies and a better world.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190611005042/en/
Contact:
Media: Jennifer Reingold Global Head of Content P: +1 212-519-6286 Stacy Drumtra US Head of Marketing and Communications P: +1 312-260-8974
Link:
About Business Wire
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
Brenus Pharma Presented New Preclinical and Early Clinical Data in Colorectal Cancer During AACR Immuno-Oncology Conference 202619.2.2026 08:50:00 CET | Press release
Brenus Pharma, a clinical-stage biotechnology company pioneering in vivo “off-the-shelf” immunotherapies, announced the selection of an abstract for a poster presentation at the American Association for Cancer Research Immuno-Oncology (AACRIO) annual conference (February 18-21, 2026), in Los Angeles. The poster showcases new preclinical data and early clinical insights from the company's lead candidate, STC-1010, supporting it as a promising therapeutic option for MSS, immune-cold colorectal cancer (CRC)—a major unmet clinical need. In a syngeneic CT26 model, murine STC-1010 significantly inhibits tumor growth and extends survival by 40%. New mechanistic datas reveal expansion of CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T cells in draining lymph nodes alongside a significant humoral response compared to control, demonstrating coordinated cellular and humoral immune activation in vivo. Other findings show that dendritic cells efficiently capture STC-1010, leading to their activation as demonstrated by transcripto
ENHERTU® Type II Variation Application Validated in the EU as Post-Neoadjuvant Treatment for Patients with HER2 Positive Early Breast Cancer19.2.2026 08:30:00 CET | Press release
Based on DESTINY-Breast05 phase 3 trial results, which showed ENHERTU reduced the risk of invasive disease recurrence or death by 53% compared to T-DM1 If approved, Daiichi Sankyo and AstraZeneca’s ENHERTU has the potential to become a new standard of care in this early breast cancer setting The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has validated the Type II Variation marketing authorization application for ENHERTU® (trastuzumab deruxtecan) as a monotherapy for adult patients with HER2 positive (immunohistochemistry [IHC] 3+ or in-situ hybridization [ISH]+) breast cancer who have residual invasive disease after neoadjuvant HER2 targeted treatment. ENHERTU is a specifically engineered HER2 directed DXd antibody drug conjugate (ADC) discovered by Daiichi Sankyo (TSE: 4568) and being jointly developed and commercialized by Daiichi Sankyo and AstraZeneca (LSE/STO/NYSE: AZN). The validation confirms the completion of the application and commences the scientific review process by the EMA’s Committ
NHOA Energy Advances Delivery of the 51 MWh Broni Battery for Neoen in Italy19.2.2026 08:00:00 CET | Press release
The project confirms NHOA Energy’s long-term commitment to the Italian market NHOA Energy, global provider of utility-scale energy storage systems, is advancing the construction of the Broni Battery, a 10 MW/51 MWh project located in Broni (Pavia), Italy, executed for Neoen, one of the world’s leading independent producers of renewable energy. Civil works at the site are currently underway and advancing on schedule, with commissioning activities planned to start in late spring 2026. Once operational, the Broni Battery will provide essential flexibility services to the Italian electricity system, supporting grid stability and reliability as renewable energy penetration continues to increase. The project represents Neoen’s first battery storage asset in Italy and marks a strategic step in the company’s expansion, as it continues to grow its battery storage portfolio in key markets worldwide to support power system flexibility. The Broni Battery further strengthens NHOA Energy’s long-term
Compass Pathways Announces Pricing of $150 Million Public Offering19.2.2026 02:18:00 CET | Press release
Compass Pathways plc (Nasdaq: CMPS), a biotechnology company dedicated to accelerating patient access to evidence-based innovation, announced today the pricing of its public offering of 17,500,000 American Depositary Shares (“ADSs”) at a public offering price of $8.00 per ADS, each representing one ordinary share, and in lieu of ADSs, to certain institutional investors, pre-funded warrants to purchase up to 1,250,000 ADSs at a public offering price of $7.9999 per pre-funded warrant. In addition, Compass Pathways has granted the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 2,812,500 ADSs at the public offering price, less the underwriting discounts and commissions. All of the securities are to be sold by Compass Pathways. The offering is expected to close on or about February 20, 2026, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions. The gross proceeds to Compass Pathways from the offering, before deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and other est
Andersen Consulting udvider sine kompetencer inden for ledelsesrekruttering med Lansdowne Executive Search18.2.2026 17:08:00 CET | Pressemeddelelse
Andersen Consulting styrker sin humancapital-praksis gennem en samarbejdsaftale med Lansdowne Executive Search, der er en Dublin-baseret virksomhed med speciale i lederrekruttering, midlertidige ledelser og bestyrelsesudnævnelser. Lansdowne Executive Search er en irisk-ejet virksomhed, der blev grundlagt i 2015, og som tilbyder C-level-ledelsesekruttering, deltidsledere og bestyrelsesplaceringer. Som en partnerdrevet boutique-virksomhed er Lansdowne kendt for, at seniorledelsen er tæt involveret i alle kundeprojekter. Virksomheden hjælper kunder med at navigere i komplekse ledelsesovergange og vækststrategier på tværs af en bred vifte af sektorer, herunder finans, byggeindustrien, nonprofit, landbrug, videregående uddannelse, den offentlige sektor samt teknologi, medier og telekommunikation. "God ledelse er afhænger af situationen, og det kræver forståelse af langt mere end blot et CV," sagde Tom Keane, der er partner hos Lansdowne Executive Search. "Samarbejdet med Andersen Consulting
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom