IBM, Global CDO, Executive Director: Data Governance Is Key to Advancing Data Strategy

(US and Canada) Carol Kim, Executive Director at Global Chief Data Office, IBM, speaks with Derek Strauss, Chairman, Gavroshe, about how companies have operationalized data governance, the organizational transformation drivers, up-skilling and formalizing roles, and measuring performance at IBM.

Kim begins by stating that in the global chief data office, there is a dedicated governance team focused on executing governance across the enterprise. Their management processes include implementing end-to-end data, monetization, governance, security protocols, access controls, data equality, metering, etc.

She refers to internal monetization as cost reduction and streamlining processes, along with commercialization, wherein companies make money by selling data and insights externally. Kim adds that at IBM, they govern the process that defines, enables and drives conformance to enterprise data standards across all business units.

She further emphasizes that data governance advances data strategies and drives data transformations at IBM. They start from the top and establish a data officer council known as BUDOs (Business Unit Data Officers). They help ensure IBM’s data strategy reflects the business units’ priorities.

Kim pinpoints the importance of up-skilling across IBM. She asserts having formal professions with identified responsibilities and career paths. The management profession includes roles within operations, human resources, and legal marketing. She mentions having career playbooks that portray competency models, success profiles, and roadmap.

Kim further describes a business unit data officer’s role as helping craft data strategy rather than a technical profession.

In conclusion, she states that IBM employees have managers who measure their performances based on a quarterly or monthly basis. The process is necessary to set goals for the quarter or the year and revisit as needed to track progress while reflecting on them through candid feedback and proof.