Since the widespread adoption of AI projects in the corporate world, a new dynamic has emerged among the roles of Chief Data Officer, CIO, and CISO. At Intescia, Alfred Ortolani (Chief Data Officer) and Baptiste Bouffaut (Chief Technology Officer) discuss this restructuring of the organization’s nerve center and the central role that data now plays within it.
Key Takeaways
- Close coordination of workflows. Data, security, and business requirements are now aligned from the very start of an AI project, rather than being addressed one after the other.
- The role of the CDO has shifted from “data provider” to “data quality guardian,” which is essential to prevent AI from amplifying errors.
- The CDO and CTO roles are converging, but they will not merge. The two areas of expertise remain too specialized and complementary to be handled by a single person.
- The Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) is on track to gain greater autonomy, with the goal of placing the role on the same hierarchical level as the CDO.
- The trio now includes compliance (DPO/GDPR), which is integrated from the outset of projects on par with data and security.
- This acceleration stems as much from AI as it does from rapid prototyping, which streamlines traditional steps and requires different functions to work in tandem.
From sequential collaboration to teamwork from day one
The initial observation: Has the Chief Data Officer really been collaborating more with the CIO/CISO duo since the rise of AI?
Alfred Ortolani, Chief Data Officer: “Let me clarify right away: it’s not so much the frequency of collaboration that has changed as its sequence. Before, each function would step in one after the other: the business side, then data, then, possibly, security. Today, at Intescia, where data is the product sold to customers, all stakeholders start on the same footing. We’re all on the same page and work together from the very beginning.”
Baptiste Bouffaut, Chief Technology Officer: "This change isn't just driven by AI itself, but also by the speed at which prototypes are now produced: rapid prototyping flattens the workflow and makes the old sequential approach untenable."
From data provider to guarantor of data quality
How does this shift in approach translate into concrete actions for the Chief Data Officer?
Alfred Ortolani: "In the past, I was called upon at the end of the process to provide datasets that had already been identified. My role has shifted: it’s no longer just about providing data, but about ensuring its quality—a prerequisite for preventing AI models from replicating or amplifying errors stemming from corrupted or unstable data."
Baptiste Bouffaut: "To move faster while ensuring the security of these data flows, the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) is now involved from the very start of a project to verify in advance that security requirements will be met. Each project now undergoes a comprehensive review structured around three key areas: the availability of the right data, exposure to security risks, and the balance between stability, revenue, and costs."
A partnership, not a merger of functions
Given this growing convergence, should we expect to see the emergence of a hybrid role that combines the responsibilities of a Chief Data Officer and a Chief Information Security Officer?
Alfred Ortolani: “I’m unequivocal: there is indeed a convergence of roles, but I rule out any merger. The two fields rely on expertise that is too specialized to be handled by a single person. On the one hand, there is data governance, data quality, and data industrialization (with validation mechanisms such as “human-in-the-loop”); on the other, there are constantly evolving cybersecurity challenges, which are inextricably linked to compliance with local regulations.”
"In my view, combining the two roles into a single position would result in a loss of either speed or expertise. I also want to emphasize the nature of the dialogue between the CDO and the CISO: not points of friction, but shared areas of concern, resolved through partnership rather than conflict."
The CISO Will Soon Be on Par with the Chief Data Officer
How is this collaboration structured within Intescia's organizational chart?
Baptiste Bouffaut: "Today, at Intescia, the CISO still reports to the IT department, but this organizational structure is temporary. Given the growing importance of the CISO’s role in the context of AI projects, the goal is to evolve this position into a more cross-functional role, on par with the Chief Data Officer, potentially with a new title: Head of Security."
From Silos to Collaboration: A Driven Transformation, Not a Spontaneous One
Did this coming together happen naturally, or did it need to be encouraged?
Baptiste Bouffaut: "Two years ago, when I joined the group, the organization was still largely siloed. Breaking down these silos required new processes, the most fundamental of which is the systematic involvement of the CISO from the very start of a project—rather than just at its launch—as well as the CISO’s ongoing participation in steering committees."
"This three-part framework has, in fact, been expanded to include a third function: compliance (GDPR, DPO), which is now fully integrated into the same committees and processes, whereas it had previously been kept separate."
AI: An Accelerator of a Trend That Has Already Begun
Is artificial intelligence driving this transformation, or has it merely accelerated a trend that was already underway?
Baptiste Bouffaut: "Data was already at the heart of the organization long before the rise of AI, since it is the product that Intescia sells. What AI has changed is the pace: the company must now expose more data, under pressure from a market where major model providers are actively seeking access to proprietary and differentiating data. This increased exposure automatically reinforces the need for security and joint governance."
This acceleration has very concrete consequences: an increase in the number of projects that need to be managed simultaneously, and the CISO’s nearly constant presence alongside the data teams."
A more visible Chief Data Officer role—because it is more critical
Is the Chief Data Officer seeing greater recognition for their role thanks to AI?
Alfred Ortolani: "For me, it’s not about prestige but about responsibility in the face of risk. Data must now feed two essential streams: delivery to customers and the training of the AI models themselves. This dual responsibility makes the role more visible—not because it is symbolically valued, but because a failure now has a direct and immediate impact on the business. The challenge, in my view, is not to avoid all errors, but to be able to react quickly: trace the issue back through the chain to determine whether an error stems from production, corrupted data, or data that was incorrectly fed into the model."
Interview by Alexandre Savigny
