A chief data officer (CDO) is a C-level corporate executive who is responsible for an organization's data governance. The CDO position is related to, but separate from, the job of the chief information officer (CIO). As a rule, the CDO reports to either the chief operating officer (COO), chief technology officer (CTO) or the chief executive officer (CEO) of an organization. If the organization has a retail division that is customer-facing, the chief data officer may also work closely with the chief marketing officer (CMO).