Do we need a CDO, or is a Data Office enough?

Both are possible. A Data Governance Office can handle day-to-day operations even without a dedicated CDO, as long as a C-level sponsor—often the COO or CIO—handles escalations. We recommend appointing a dedicated CDO as soon as there are multiple regulated data domains or a large AI program involved.

Who will handle data governance in our day-to-day operations if we don't have any available staff?

We’ll temporarily fill the gap ourselves —as an interim CDO, lead data steward, or data steward on demand—while simultaneously empowering your team until it can handle these roles independently. This way, governance gets off the ground without you having to free up internal resources first.

How much does data governance consulting cost, and when does it pay off?

We offer customized solutions, so the price depends on your needs and requirements. The Quick Assessment is a predictable, fixed-price package that serves as a starting point. The benefits come from avoiding audit findings, faster AI rollouts, and less rework during migrations.

What can we do on our own right away without seeking outside advice?

Three high-impact actions: Formally define data ownership for your ten most important data domains, including specific names; implement a simple classification system (public, internal, confidential, strictly confidential); and launch a dynamic data glossary with an “Ownership” column and a fixed update schedule.

A person opens a drawer in an endless archive corridor lined with filing cabinets glowing blue and red

Data Governance Consulting

Data that is reliable, accessible, and compliant—even during normal operations

Data Governance Consulting That Makes Data Manageable

Reporting, audits, and AI initiatives are only effective if your data is backed by clear accountability, assured quality, and transparent rules. Without these, there are three different versions of the truth when it comes to revenue, and AI pilot projects never move beyond the proof-of-concept stage.

Through our data governance consulting, we build the operating system for your data: roles, rules, and processes that take effect in day-to-day operations. And we implement it effectively—until data catalogs are populated, responsibilities are assigned, and controls are effective.

Less Technology. Better Business.

Schedule a free consultation

Engineering First

We deliver data catalogs, policies, and code instead of strategy papers—and experience shows that about 70% of projects go live.

Manufacturer-specific depth without binding

Certified for Collibra, Atlan, Microsoft Purview, and Informatica—but with no commission, because our recommendation is based on your specific use case.

Regulatory Depth in the DACH Region

We translate BCBS 239, DORA, NIS2, and the EU AI Act into concrete policies and controls—ones that can be demonstrated during the next audit, not just documented.

Well-established rather than sidelined

Quarterly reviews, a governance health dashboard, and a steward community keep your governance alive long after the project is over.

What Our Data Governance Services Cover

From maturity analysis through implementation to ongoing operations, our consulting and engineering teams work together as one. We approach data governance in tandem with the data foundation for artificial intelligence (AI): Without sound governance, no AI use case can scale. AI governance itself—risk classification according to the EU AI Act, bias testing, and the model lifecycle—builds on this foundation and is handled by a dedicated team within our organization.

The following overview shows how a data governance project unfolds at our company:

Maturity Check: An assessment based on the DAMA-DMBOK and our five-level, eight-dimension maturity heuristic, featuring a clear heat map.
Operating Model, Policies, and Standards: Responsibilities, data classification, and sharing and quality policies.
Tool Selection and Implementation: vendor-neutral, with our own evaluation framework and proof of value.
Implementation, Enablement, and Data Product Engineering: Rollout across domains, steward programs, and specific data products.
Deliberately excluded: pure auditing, pure legal consulting, and tool reselling.

Data Governance, IT Governance, or Data Protection?

Four disciplines that are interrelated but do not overlap:

Data governance manages the data itself: relevance, quality, ownership, and usage.
IT governance and appropriate IT governance consulting manage IT as a whole: architecture, investments, and service management.
Data protection regulates the lawfulness of personal data processing (GDPR).
Information security protects against unauthorized access (ISO 27001, NIS2).

We establish clear responsibilities and decision-making authority for each data area so that no one has to ask who is actually in charge. In this context, “ownership” means formal authority for the business unit, not delegation.
Data contracts make data transfers between data domains technically enforceable, not just documented.
Quarterly reviews, an annual maturity assessment, and a governance health dashboard provide visibility into the current status —with real-time metrics such as catalog coverage, steward activity, and data quality score.

Translating Regulations into Concrete Inspections

We work in three steps: First, mapping—which rule applies to which data, systems, and processes. Then, translating policies, responsibilities, and technical measures into controls. Finally, embedding them in the operating model and the data catalog, for example through classification, tagging, and automated workflow triggers.

A uniform classification scheme, policy-as-code, and end-to-end lineage ensure that requirements are enforced—not just documented.

Regulatory Status as of 2026

EU AI Act (Regulation (EU) 2024/1689): Prohibitions effective February 2, 2025; obligations for GPAI and governance effective August 2, 2025; general applicability, including high-risk systems as defined in Annex III, effective August 2, 2026.
DORA has applied to financial firms since January 17, 2025.
NIS2 has been implemented in Germany since December 6, 2025 (NIS2 Implementation Act and BSIG Amendment).
BCBS 239 requires banks to have robust risk data aggregation and lineage, which is enshrined in Germany through the MaRisk.

Industry	Regulatory Driver	Focus on Governance
Financial Services & Insurance	BCBS 239, MaRisk, DORA, BaFin Audits	Risk Data Aggregation, Lineage, Auditability
Energy & Utilities / Critical Infrastructure	NIS2, KRITIS	Registration, Reporting Channels, Risk Management
Industry & Manufacturing	Data Act, Supply Chain Act	Data Room Compliance, Classification, Data Flows

Frequently Asked Questions About Data Governance Consulting

Do we need a CDO, or is a Data Office enough?

Both are possible. A Data Governance Office can handle day-to-day operations even without a dedicated CDO, as long as a C-level sponsor—often the COO or CIO—handles escalations. We recommend appointing a dedicated CDO as soon as there are multiple regulated data domains or a large AI program involved.
Who will handle data governance in our day-to-day operations if we don't have any available staff?

We’ll temporarily fill the gap ourselves —as an interim CDO, lead data steward, or data steward on demand—while simultaneously empowering your team until it can handle these roles independently. This way, governance gets off the ground without you having to free up internal resources first.
How much does data governance consulting cost, and when does it pay off?

We offer customized solutions, so the price depends on your needs and requirements. The Quick Assessment is a predictable, fixed-price package that serves as a starting point. The benefits come from avoiding audit findings, faster AI rollouts, and less rework during migrations.
What can we do on our own right away without seeking outside advice?

Three high-impact actions: Formally define data ownership for your ten most important data domains, including specific names; implement a simple classification system (public, internal, confidential, strictly confidential); and launch a dynamic data glossary with an “Ownership” column and a fixed update schedule.

Data Governance Consulting

Data Governance Consulting That Makes Data Manageable

The Benefits of Partnering with MaibornWolff for Data Governance

Engineering First

Manufacturer-specific depth without binding

Regulatory Depth in the DACH Region

Well-established rather than sidelined

What Our Data Governance Services Cover

Service Modules and Vendor-Neutral Tool Selection

Get Started with Low Risk—The Data Governance Quick Assessment

Embedding Governance in the Organization—So It Doesn't Fizzle Out

Our References & Projects

Data Governance by Industry and Regulatory Framework: EU AI Act, DORA, BCBS 239

Translating Regulations into Concrete Inspections

Where the Pressure Is Greatest—by Industry

Data Analytics Consulting

Cloud Consulting

Cybersecurity Consulting

Your Data Governance Decision – Robust Rather Than Bureaucratic

Frequently Asked Questions About Data Governance Consulting

Do we need a CDO, or is a Data Office enough?

Who will handle data governance in our day-to-day operations if we don't have any available staff?

How much does data governance consulting cost, and when does it pay off?

What can we do on our own right away without seeking outside advice?