Nate Novosel

In a recent Gartner survey, 89% of CDAOs said effective D&A governance is crucial for business, technology and AI innovation, yet almost 70% find their current D&A and AI governance practices, skills and technology insufficient to drive innovation and business value. This multigroup discussion will focus on sharing experiences and addressing how CDAOs are evolving their D&A and AI governance approaches, building the business case for foundational investments, and designing effective operating models.

Sovereign AI reflects a nation-state’s desire to control its own AI, reducing reliance on foreign innovation, talent, and vendors. Impact and maturity vary globally, creating commercial opportunities and nonobvious threat. This session explores what sovereign AI is, how your competitors are leveraging it, and what vendors are involved. Attendees will leave with a blueprint to identify value creation strategies while confronting geopolitical uncertainties.

Prioritizing data and AI literacy programs directly impacts the core measures of a firm’s financial performance. Investing in data and AI literacy is the fastest way for D&A leaders to achieve payback in their D&A maturity journey, especially in early stages of maturity.

The most difficult part of implementing a data governance program is sustaining it. This session will discuss challenges with identifying, motivating, and supporting data governance, ownership, and stewardship roles and tactics to build momentum for the program.

Gartner research shows that technical excellence alone rarely shifts mindsets or drives cultural change. If you want your business to truly think differently about data, you need to stop “selling” capabilities and start “marketing” value, using the same tactics as world-class consumer brands. This session unveils a new playbook for D&A leaders to build and execute a marketing plan that transforms culture and boosts adoption, with Gartner insights and real-world examples. Learn why most D&A strategies fail, how to apply proven marketing principles, and spark enthusiasm for data across your organization.

As the CDAO role continues to evolve in the AI era, organizations face critical decisions about the direction and impact of their data leadership. This session explores the future of the CDAO through three distinct archetypes: Expert, Collaborator and Pioneer. Attendees will learn how to assess and choose the archetype that best aligns with their organization’s AI ambition and strategic goals. Attendees will leave with actionable insights to define their CDAO journey and position themselves and their organizations for success in a rapidly changing digital landscape.

D&A leaders are navigating unprecedented uncertainty and complexity, driven by shifting business expectations regarding the capabilities, cost, and value of D&A functions. Results from Gartner's 11th annual CDAO agenda survey show that the most successful D&A leaders manage resources for productivity, build scalable technology, and imbue their own internal processes with AI. For many D&A functions, this amounts to a full-stack transformation and a hard break from preexisting operating models focused on service delivery. This session describes the challenging path ahead and how to set the right pace of change.

There are seven key reasons organizations struggle with effective data governance. This session examines what consistently goes wrong and offers practical solutions to help make data governance work for your organization.

This session is designed for both first-time and experienced CDAOs who are new to their organizations. These insights will help you proactively shape and manage your initial weeks in a new role, enabling you to make an immediate impact and build a strong foundation for the future. Are you among the 61% of CDAOs considering a move within the next two years?

Gartner research shows that technical excellence alone rarely shifts mindsets or drives cultural change. If you want your business to truly think differently about data, you need to stop “selling” capabilities and start “marketing” value, using the same tactics as world-class consumer brands. This session unveils a new playbook for D&A leaders to build and execute a marketing plan that transforms culture and boosts adoption, with Gartner insights and real-world examples. Learn why most D&A strategies fail, how to apply proven marketing principles, and spark enthusiasm for data across your organization.