What role does your Chief Digital Officer have?

At the beginning of this 2012 I pulled together a post on the emerging role of the Chief Digital Officer (CDO).

Over the last few months I've been considering this role more and now think that this is a job that will become more commonplace in the future. And it would seem that I'm not alone in thinking this, with executive recruitment company Russell Reynolds now stating that

The spike in demand for Chief Digital Officers has been felt globally. In Europe, the number of search requests for this role has risen by almost a third in the last 24 months

So what should the Chief Digital Officer should be responsible for in a major organisation?

Here's my suggestions:

• Having a seat on the board that champions the implementation / growth / adoption of digital technologies & practices, whilst contributing to the overall business strategy
• Online best-practice guidance and mentoring for all executive level staff
• Owning the company's digital strategy (including the digital roadmap of future features and functionality)
• Managing the implementation and management of online services (where there's no dedicated business owner)
• Ensuring the Digital Strategy aligns with overall IT, operational and product / commercial roadmaps
• Overseeing the overall digital user experience (e.g. every online touch point)

The Chief Digital Officer should also have the following experience:

- Experience of working within a blue chip organisation on a global scale (e.g. FMCG, Manufacturing, Online, Retail, etc.)

- Knowledge of Digital Marketing (from search engine marketing through to complex attribution)
- eCommerce best practice (conversion optimisation, merchandising, pricing and fulfillment) 

- A sound grounding in technical architectural and operational standards
- A history of large project / programme delivery