Welcome to our second annual Europe and US Data, Analytics, and Artificial Intelligence Executive Organization and Compensation Survey, which examines both organizational structure and compensation for executive roles with artificial intelligence and/or data analytics responsibilities.

For this report, Heidrick & Struggles compiled compensation data from a survey fielded in Fall 2022 of 120 executives in Europe and the United States. 

We hope you enjoy reading the survey. As always, suggestions are welcome, so please feel free to contact us—or your Heidrick & Struggles representative—with questions and comments.

What titles do data, analytics, and AI leaders have, and what are their backgrounds?

Data, analytics, and artificial intelligence (AI) responsibilities are led by people in roles that include chief data and analytics officer and senior data and analytics leader. 

European executives are more likely to report directly to the CEO: 30% of executives in Europe do so versus only 20% in the United States. This higher share is likely due to the higher share of Europeans who have more senior titles.

In terms of sectors, data, analytics, and artificial intelligence leaders most often had experience in financial services and consumer, retail, and media (the same industries they most often work in today). These sectors were the top two in both Europe and the United States.

Demographics

The data, analytics, and artificial intelligence function is historically one that has been lacking in diversity, though we have observed a number of initiatives to introduce greater diversity in terms of gender, race, ethnicity, and sexual orientation. While the share of women in these roles is low everywhere, their share in the United States was almost six times that in Europe.

Most respondents to this survey were men. In the United States, 56% of respondents were white and 31% were Asian or Asian American. 

What data, analytics, and artificial intelligence executives do all day 

A quarter of the executives we surveyed had been in their role for less than one year, and only 10% have been in their role for five or more years; more than three-quarters of respondents are in a role that has existed at their company for less than five years. This is more or less consistent between Europe and the United States. We suggested in last year’s report that short tenures could suggest a few different scenarios, such as a high level of turnover or a change in strategic priorities resulting in demand for a first-time executive leader responsible for the function, moving the responsibility from a manager or director.

However, the share of respondents in a role that has existed for three to four years increased from 32% in 2021 to 43% in 2022. This suggests that we are seeing the function mature; while tenures remain steady, there is still movement within the market.

In terms of the overall competition for data, analytics, and AI executives, even with current hiring freezes at many technology companies, we have not, so far, seen a slowdown for people in engineering functions. However, looking ahead, we do expect the responses to next year’s survey in terms of tenure and compensation could look somewhat different.

The majority of data, analytics, and AI executives who responded to this survey have a global role. However, European executives are more often in a global role: 86%, compared with 71% of executives in the United States. This higher share is likely due to the regional need for cross-border experience as well as the higher share of Europeans who have more senior titles.

Executives in data, analytics, and artificial intelligence roles said that they work most often with the marketing and customer engagement functions, followed by sales/go-to-market and strategy. In Europe, a notably higher share said one of the functions they spend the most time working with is IT. 

Globally, 78% of executives said they consider the marketing and customer engagement function a stakeholder, though this varied by region: 83% of US executives said so and 69% in Europe. 

However, the fact that at least a third of all executives reported that they consider each of the functions as stakeholders show the broad responsibilities of these data, analytics, and artificial intelligence roles.

Reporting lines

A quarter of all the data, analytics and AI executives surveyed report to the CEO. Another 24% report to the COO, chief administration officer, or CIO. However, there are notable variations between regions: in the United States, 20% of executives report to the CEO, while 35% of their European peers say the same. In the United States, the next most common reporting line for these executives is to the CIO; in Europe, it’s the chief digital officer—a title only 5% of US executives report to. An average of four areas report to these leaders in Europe, and an average of six in the United States.

The chief data officer/head of data analytics is a new reporting line this year, and it speaks to the notion that the data function is maturing and becoming broader: these leaders are building out their teams.

In terms of who reports to them, three-quarters of respondents said that the data science function reports to them, followed by machine learning (70%) and business intelligence/analytics (68%). In the United States, 80% of executives manage the data science function, while 76% said they manage the data engineering, machine learning, and/or business intelligence/analytics functions. In Europe, 70% of respondents said the data science function reports to them; 62% said the machine learning function reports to them, and 57% said the business intelligence/analytics function reports to them.

For full organization and compensation data, download the complete report.

About the authors

Ryan Bulkoski (rbulkoski@heidrick.com) is a partner in Heidrick & Struggles’ San Francisco office and global head of the Data, Analytics & Artificial Intelligence Practice.

Kristin van der Sande (kvandersande@heidrick.com) is a partner in the Frankfurt office and a member of the global Technology Practice and regional leader of the Data, Analytics & Artificial Intelligence sector in Europe & Africa.