CDO Matters Podcast CDO Matters Ep. 98 - The New Rules for Data Leadership
Apr 2, 2026
Kyle Winterbottom, CEO and founder of Orbition and a specialist in hiring senior data and analytics leaders, discusses shifts in data leadership and the hiring market. He explores why CDO roles are changing. He talks about AI reshaping orgs, the importance of business-domain experience, and how candidates can demonstrate value to advance their careers.
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Middle Layer Data Hiring Is Booming
- The CDO role is growing below the top table with heavy hiring for directors, heads, and VPs rather than many true CDOs.
- Kyle reports more leadership hires at that middle layer than in his 15 years, driven by organizations shifting CDO remit under CIO/CTO.
Output Focus Explains Perceived Lack Of Value
- Businesses often claim data teams don't deliver ROI because they build outputs (platforms, dashboards) not measurable business outcomes.
- Kyle says organizations hire for technical outputs, then expect commercial uplift without aligning to decisions that drive revenue or cost savings.
Get The Job Then Prove Value Covertly
- Take the job even if it's framed as delivering frameworks, then run a parallel, covert effort to quantify business value.
- Malcolm recommends hiring a value engineer to produce spreadsheets and metrics proving impact over 12–24 months.
