Data Governance roles and responsibilities: key roles in a Data Governance program
The biggest mistake in Data Governance programmes is starting with technology. Before choosing tools, you need to know who does what. Without clear roles and defined responsibilities, no framework works.
The 5 fundamental Data Governance roles
1. Chief Data Officer (CDO)
The CDO is the executive responsible for the data governance programme. Their main responsibilities:
- Define the data strategy and align it with business objectives
- Chair the Data Governance Committee
- Report to the Management Committee on programme status
- Ensure compliance with the AI Act, GDPR and NIS2 in relation to data
- Manage programme budget and resources
In medium-sized organisations (50-250 employees), this role often falls to the CTO or Director of Digital Transformation.
2. Data Owner
The Data Owner is the business owner of a specific data domain (customers, products, finance…). They define business rules and make decisions about the data.
- Define data quality rules for their domain
- Approve access to data in their domain
- Resolve definition or ownership conflicts
- Ultimately responsible for data quality in their domain
3. Data Steward
The Data Steward is the operational executor of data governance policies. They work closely with the Data Owner.
- Document data assets in the catalogue
- Implement and monitor quality rules
- Manage data quality incidents
- Keep metadata updated
- Train business users in data policies
4. Data Engineer / Data Architect
The Data Engineer technically implements data governance policies:
- Implement quality controls in data pipelines
- Manage data lineage
- Design system integrations respecting access policies
- Maintain the technical data catalogue
5. Data Privacy Officer (DPO)
In organisations subject to the GDPR, the DPO collaborates closely with the Data Governance programme:
- Ensure the data catalogue includes the Record of Processing Activities
- Validate personal data access policies
- Manage GDPR rights requests
- Coordinate with the CDO on AI Act requirements related to personal data
The RACI matrix for Data Governance
The RACI matrix (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed) is the standard tool for formalising roles in a Data Governance programme. For each process or decision, it defines:
- R — Responsible: who executes the task
- A — Accountable: who is ultimately responsible (only one per task)
- C — Consulted: who provides input before the decision
- I — Informed: who must be aware of the outcome
How to size the team by organisation size
Not all organisations need full-time dedicated roles:
- Fewer than 50 employees: 1 part-time Data Steward + business Data Owners
- 50-250 employees: 1-2 Data Stewards + CDO shared with CTO/CIO
- More than 250 employees: Dedicated CDO + Data Steward team by domain
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