Let's be clear: data is a critical asset along the same lines as inventory, cash, buildings, personnel, and accounts receivable. Without good data, we are unable to make the correct operational, tactical, and strategic decisions that are the difference between those organizations that live and those that die. Yet there are very few organizations that have stepped up and established the role of a chief data officer (CDO) with the responsibility and authority to deal with the many complex and interrelated issues, both political and technical, that swirl around data. In the accompanying Executive Report, we look at this role and its responsibilities.