CDAOs deliver measurable ROI with AI in a fast-changing world

Discover how CDAOs align AI initiatives with business goals to drive accelerated, tangible value

November 2025

As organizations embrace rapid technological change, Chief Data and Analytics Officers (CDAOs) are finding themselves at the heart of business transformation. The demands on CDAOs are accelerating—AI projects must deliver measurable ROI, modernization must keep pace with business needs, and the transition from productivity tools to autonomous agents is reshaping how value is created. Securing executive buy-in, overcoming aging data infrastructure, and achieving tangible outcomes are now critical for success. CDAOs must adopt new strategies that connect AI initiatives with core business problems, drive effective execution, and prepare organizations for a hybrid future where human expertise and AI collaborate seamlessly.

Some key factors and considerations for CDAOs are:

• Strategic AI prioritization: Align AI projects with high-value business problems and ensure senior leadership champions each initiative to maximize both organizational impact and result delivery.
• Delivering on ROI expectations: Move quickly from pilots to scalable solutions by focusing on use cases with direct revenue or cost-savings outcomes and embed ROI measurement into every AI initiative.
• Modernizing data infrastructure: Tackle challenges posed by legacy infrastructure and inconsistent data quality by upgrading systems and leveraging AI-driven tools to enable data readiness and compliance.
• Shifting AI goals toward autonomy: Look beyond incremental productivity and democratization; begin building toward hybrid models where autonomous AI agents and humans work together to unlock exponential performance gains.
• Driving data-driven culture and adoption: Foster a culture that promotes broad AI adoption, boosts AI literacy, and balances user empowerment with business objectives to ensure sustainable transformation.