As organizations strive to unlock the full potential of data and artificial intelligence, the Chief Data & Analytics Officer (CDAO) has become a driving force behind enterprise transformation. Today’s CDAOs are responsible not only for managing data assets, but also for leading innovation and guiding the responsible adoption of AI throughout the business. In 2026, their priorities reflect a holistic approach – emphasizing robust data and AI governance, cultivating a data-driven culture, and generating tangible business value from data and analytics initiatives.
To better understand how these priorities are evolving, Gartner CDAO Communities recently conducted its annual Leadership Perspective Survey of members. Here, CDAOs share insights on their top focus areas, investment plans, and enterprise objectives for the year ahead. In our latest survey, more than 350 CDAOs worldwide contributed their perspectives, revealing the focus areas shaping their 2026 strategies.
Top Priority for CDAOs: Strengthen Data & AI Governance
Data governance has consistently been a top concern for members of the CDAO community, but this year marks the first time that AI governance is explicitly cited as a critical priority in the annual survey. For 2026, “Strengthen Data & AI Governance” stands out as the clear number one focus area for CDAOs.
As data leaders dive deeper into generative and agentic AI use cases, they are prioritizing the development of robust governance frameworks to effectively manage emerging technologies and mitigate associated risks.
Culture, AI & Business Value: Critical Focus Areas for CDAOs
As data and AI landscapes rapidly evolve, this year’s survey recategorized several priorities to better reflect the needs of CDAOs. Previously, “Generative & Traditional AI” was the sole AI-focused category. Now, it has been refined into two distinct priorities: “Strengthen Data & AI Governance” and “Prioritize D&A and AI Use Cases,” which have emerged as the number one and number three priorities, respectively.
The second highest priority for CDAOs in 2026 is “Drive Data-Driven Culture & Transformation.” Each year, culture has risen in importance, with CDAOs now playing a pivotal role in guiding organizations to become data-driven and agile in the face of ongoing technological disruption.
A standout shift this year is the dramatic rise of “Maximize Business & Monetization Value,” which jumped 22 places from last year. While CDAOs have always been focused on demonstrating business value, executive buy-in is now stronger than ever, and there is heightened demand to showcase the tangible impact of AI.
Rounding out the top five is “Modernize Data Architecture,” which also saw a significant leap – up seven positions from 2025. With the push to adopt agentic AI models, CDAOs recognize the urgent need to modernize data architecture to support advanced capabilities.
Top Spending Area: AI & Machine Learning Platforms
To support their top initiatives, CDAOs are directing the largest portion of their budgets toward AI & Machine Learning Platforms in 2026. According to the survey, 55% of CDAOs plan to invest in this area, making it the leading spending category for the year.
Other key areas of investment include Data Governance (40%), Analytics & BI Platforms (32%), Master Data Management (MDM) & Metadata Management (29%), and Cloud Data Platforms & Infrastructure (28%). These spending trends highlight CDAOs’ commitment to building robust, scalable, and intelligent data ecosystems.
Top Enterprise Priority: Driving Growth
When it comes to enterprise-wide priorities, CDAOs remain steadfast in their focus from last year. Driving growth continues to be the primary objective, closely followed by efforts to increase operational efficiencies and productivity.
Amid ongoing economic uncertainty, optimizing or reducing costs and increasing revenue retain their positions as the third and fourth most important priorities. Improving customer experience rounds out the top five, reflecting the continued emphasis on delivering value and satisfaction.
Gartner C-level Communities proprietary Leadership Perspective Survey provides valuable insights that inform the topics and sessions featured at our community events, ensuring they address the most pressing priorities of executives. If you’d like to engage with peers on current and emerging D&A topics, apply to join your local CDAO community. Existing members can sign in to the app to discover upcoming events designed around your community’s key focus areas.
Based on 350 CDAO responses from Gartner C-level Communities’ proprietary Leadership Perspective Survey, March 2026.
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