CDO Mag Ren Essene Part 3 of 3

(US and Canada) Ren Essene, Chief Data Officer of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, speaks with Adita Karkera, Chief Data Officer, Government & Public Services at Deloitte, in a video interview about her role and the initiatives at the Federal CDO Council, and areas that new CDOs need to focus on.

Essene explains that the Federal CDO Council was created under the Evidence-based Policymaking Act of 2018. It serves as a meeting point and a shared experience forum for all federal CDOs. 

She joined the operations working group to help establish the council’s framework. Aside from the small and large CDO committees, there are also topical working groups on data sharing or data inventories. She adds that it has been a unifying community of practice for federal CDOs.

Next, Essene offers the following advice for new CDOs:

• Develop peer relationships and join councils or other communities. Stay active in these groups to keep up-to-date with the latest developments in the field, compare best practices, and learn from others.

• Think about stakeholders broadly.  Data is foundational to any organization, and data leaders need to understand the needs of internal and external decision-makers who rely on the data in the enterprise.

In conclusion, Essene notes that CDOs must wear a lot of hats. They are data professionals,  technologists, change agents, catalysts, strategists, and subject matter experts. She emphasizes that a CDO’s most crucial role is that of a catalyst.

CDO Magazine appreciates Ren Essene for sharing her insights and data success stories with our global community.

See more from Ren Essene

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