Chie idea o ice
A Chie Idea O ice (CIdO) is a C-sui e execu i e esponsible o sys ema ically d i ing c ea i e
hinking, e alua ing ideas, and es ablishing s uc u ed en i onmen s o on end inno a ion wi hin an
o ganiza ion.[1][2]
Unlike adi ional inno a ion oles ocused on execu ion, he CIdO ope a es ups eam in he inno a ion
managemen p ocess, se ing as a cu a o o high-po en ial ideas be o e hey en e he de elopmen
pipeline.[3]
The Chie Idea O ice ole eme ged in he ea ly 2000s, p ima ily wi hin ad e ising and ma ke ing
agencies. One o he ea lies documen ed uses was a G ey Wo ldwide's Dallas-Fo Wo h b anch in
2001.[4] Roy Spence, co- ounde o ad e ising i m GSD&M, held he i le in he mid-2000s.[5]
And ew Ja e, a e e an ad e ising jou nalis and long ime Adweek edi o ial di ec o who la e helped
s ee he Clio Awa ds w o e abou he ole o he CIdO in agencies in 2003. In his book Cas ing o Big
Ideas (2003), Ja e ske ches he Chie Idea O ice as a new kind o leade agency ne wo ks “may need o
ec ui and ain,” dis inc om bo h a knowledge-managemen o ice and he echnology- ocused chie
in o ma ion o ice .[6]
In an Oc . 15, 2007 s o y on building inno a i e cul u es, The Ch is ian Science Moni o amed “Chie
Idea O ice ” as one o se e al eme ging C-sui e i les, alongside Chie Inno a ion O ice and Chie
C ea i e O ice , ha “p og essi e i ms” we e adop ing o signal a esh, o ganiza ion-wide commi men
o idea gene a ion and c ea i i y.[7]
In a 2009 enginee ing-educa ion s udy, Jo dan and Pe ei a used "Chie Idea O ice " no as a co po a e
i le bu as a de ined s uden eam ole esponsible o leading b ains o ming and ensu ing ha e e y
eamma e's ideas we e su aced and conside ed in he inal design.[8]
The ole has since expanded beyond c ea i e indus ies in o an inno a ion leade ship posi ion a ound he
wo ld.[9][10][11] [12][13][14] In 2023, en u e capi al und Team8 appoin ed a Chie Idea ion O ice ,[15]
while Singapo e B2B i m Really Singapo e appoin ed a Chie Ideas O ice o digi al engagemen
s a egies.[16]
The Chie Idea/Ideas o ice s is dis inc om Chie IDEA/IDEAS O ice which is a DEI leade ship ole
whose ac onym o en s ands o Inclusion, Di e si y, Equi y, and Access/Accessibili y (and some imes
“S a egies” o “Sus ainabili y”).[17]
The Chie Idea O ice 's co e esponsibili ies include:[3]
His o y
Responsibili ies
Fos e ing a cul u e o c ea i i y – C ea ing en i onmen s whe e expe imen a ion and
in elligen isk- aking a e encou aged
T endspo ing – Moni o ing eme ging signals and echnologies o iden i y oppo uni ies and
h ea s
Idea managemen – Building sys ema ic p ocesses o gene a ing, e alua ing, and
p io i izing ideas
C oss- unc ional in eg a ion – O ches a ing collabo a ion ac oss depa men s such as
R&D, p oduc managemen , ma ke ing, and echnology
While he Chie Inno a ion O ice (CINO) ocuses on execu ing and scaling alida ed ideas, he CIdO
ope a es ups eam, cu a ing and selec ing ideas be o e hey en e he inno a ion unnel.[3] In some
o ganiza ions, he CIdO se es as a ac ional execu i e, p o iding dedica ed idea leade ship wi hou ull-
ime commi men .
In 2022, Midea, he Fo une Global 500 appliances company, ea u ed he Chie Idea O ice i le in i s
i s U.S. ad e ising campaign. The humo ous campaign s a ed ac o Sam Richa dson o HBO's Veep as
a ic ional CIdO who akes c edi o all Midea p oduc s, calling hem "My Ideas" and claiming o be " he
man behind he bes ideas, a he wo ld's bes appliance company."[18][19][20][21][22]
John Ba ke – Founde o New Yo k agency BARKER, ansi ioned o Chie Idea O ice in
2021[23][24]
Je emy Foju – Co- ounde o NEWaukee, a Milwaukee social inno a ion o ganiza ion[3]
James Boe che – Founde o Righ eous Gela o ( o me ly Fiasco Gela o) in Canada[25][26]
Tim Galles – Chie Idea O ice a Ba kley, o e seeing connec ion and inno a ion ac oss
s a egy, design, and communica ions[27][28]
Chie inno a ion o ice
Chie c ea i e o ice
Co po a e i le
C ea i e indus ies
F on end inno a ion
Inno a ion managemen
1. De Bono, Edwa d (2009). Think! Be o e i 's oo la e. London: Ve milion.
Dis inc ion om Chie Inno a ion O ice
In popula cul u e
No able examples
See also
Re e ences
2. Da enpo , T. H.; P usak, L.; Wilson, H. J. (2003). Wha 's he Big Idea?: C ea ing and
Capi alizing on he Bes Managemen Thinking. Ha a d Business P ess. p. 45.
3. Eapen, Tojin T.; Finkens ad , Daniel J.; Folk, Josh; Me selaa , John (No embe 10, 2025).
"The Case o a Chie Idea O ice " (h ps://cm .be keley.edu/2025/11/ he-case- o -a-chie -id
ea-o ice /). Cali o nia Managemen Re iew Insigh .
4. Pe ez, C. (No embe 25, 2001). "Applause, applause: Cox ecei es S emmons Se ice
Awa d" (h ps://www.bizjou nals.com/dallas/s o ies/2001/11/26/ idbi s.h ml). Dallas Business
Jou nal.
5. "GSD&M's Idea Ci y" (h ps://www.encyclopedia.com/books/poli ics-and-business-magazine
s/gsdms-idea-ci y). Encyclopedia.com.
6. Ja e, And ew (2003). Cas ing o Big Ideas: A New Mani es o o Agency Manage s.
Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.
7. Ga dne , Ma ilyn (Oc obe 15, 2007). "How companies can encou age inno a ion" (h ps://w
ww.csmoni o .com/2007/1015/p13s01-wmgn.h ml). The Ch is ian Science Moni o .
Re ie ed No embe 21, 2025.
8. Jo dan, S.; Pe ei a, N. (2009). "Rube Goldbe ginee ing: Lessons in eaching enginee ing
design o u u e enginee s" (h ps://docs.lib.pu due.edu/enegs/5). School o Enginee ing
Educa ion G adua e S uden Se ies (Pape 5). Pu due Uni e si y.
9. "2025 A izona no - o -p o i and go e nmen con e ence" (h ps://www.bake illy.com/page/2
024-az-n p-go e nmen -con e ence). Bake Tilly. Bake Tilly US, LLP. 23 Ap il 2025.
Re ie ed 21 No embe 2025.
10. "Making Middle School Ma e Symposium" (h ps://www. assp.o g/making-middle-school-m
a e -symposium-). Texas Associa ion o Seconda y School P incipals (TASSP). Texas
Associa ion o Seconda y School P incipals. 2–4 Ma ch 2025. Re ie ed 21 No embe
2025.
11. "Ri ualwell launches Jewish w i e s' ci cles ac oss he wo ld" (h ps://www. econs uc ingjud
aism.o g/news/ i ualwell-launches-jewish-w i e s-ci cles-ac oss- he-wo ld/). Recons uc ing
Judaism. Recons uc ing Judaism. 9 Sep embe 2025. Re ie ed 21 No embe 2025.
12. "S a u o y agencies disbu sed only 10% o und o c ea i es, s all indus y g ow h — Lyo a"
(h ps://gua dian.ng/sa u day-magazine/weekend-bea s/s a u o y-agencies-disbu sed-only-1
0-o - und- o-c ea i es-s all-indus y-g ow h-lyo a). The Gua dian (Nige ia). 9 Augus 2025.
Re ie ed 21 No embe 2025.
13. "Who we a e" (h ps://www. henes a ms.o g/who-we-a e). The Nes Fa ms. The Nes
Fa ms. Re ie ed 26 Sep embe 2025.
14. Kim, Dan (12 Decembe 2014). "3 P inciples o Inno a ion o S a ups and Small
Businesses" (h ps://www.inc.com/young-en ep eneu -council/3-p inciples-o -inno a ion- o -
s a ups-and-small-businesses.h ml). Inc.com. Inc. Re ie ed 21 No embe 2025.
15. Spi o, J. (Janua y 16, 2023). "Team8 G oup appoin s Bobi Gilbu d as Chie Idea ion O ice "
(h ps://www.calcalis ech.com/c echnews/a icle/ kdaiamio). Calcalis ech.
16. "SPH e e an Geo Tan akes chie ideas o ice ole in p ope y indus y" (h ps://www.ma k
e ing-in e ac i e.com/media- e e an-geo - an- esu aces-a - eal-es a e-indus y-wi h- eally-
singapo e). Ma ke ing-In e ac i e. No embe 4, 2020.
17. "Measu ing Equi y, Di e si y, and Inclusion" (h ps://ame icano ches as.o g/measu ing-equi
y-di e si y-and-inclusion/). League o Ame ican O ches as. Ma ch 28, 2023. Re ie ed
21 No embe 2025.
18. "Comedian Sam Richa dson S a s as "Chie Idea O ice " in Midea's U.S. B and Launch
Campaign" (h ps://www.midea-g oup.com/abou -us/news/comedian-sam- icha dson-s a s-a
s---chie -idea-o ice --in--midea) (P ess elease). Midea G oup. 2022.
19. "Ac o Sam Richa dson Becomes Midea's Chie Idea O ice in Fi s US Campaign" (h ps://l
bbonline.com/news/ac o -sam- icha dson-becomes-mideas-chie -idea-o ice -in- i s -us-cam
paign). LBBOnline. LBBOnline. 14 June 2022. Re ie ed 21 No embe 2025.
20. Luch e , Les (15 June 2022). "Midea Appliances A e 'My Idea,' Says Sam Richa dson In
Company's Fi s Campaign" (h ps://www.mediapos .com/publica ions/a icle/374943/midea-
appliances-a e-my-idea-says-sam- icha ds.h ml). MediaPos . MediaPos Communica ions.
Re ie ed 21 No embe 2025.
21. Fu nas, Dawn (13 June 2022). "Wha is Midea? Le 's ask his ac o (upda ed)" (h ps://njbiz.
com/wha -is-midea-le s-ask- his-ac o /). NJBIZ. B idgeTowe Media. Re ie ed 21 No embe
2025.
22. "Midea-My Idea" (h ps://sompe i.design/midea-myidea). Sompe i. Sompe i. Re ie ed
21 No embe 2025.
23. "Ba ke Ele a es Long ime Agency Leade s o C-Sui e and Names Pa ne s" (h ps://www.a
dweek.com/agencyspy/ba ke -ele a es-long ime-agency-leade s- o-c-sui e-and-names-pa
ne s/). Adweek. Adweek. Re ie ed 21 No embe 2025.
24. "John Ba ke " (h ps://blog.hubspo .com/agency/au ho /john-ba ke ). HubSpo Blog.
HubSpo . Re ie ed 21 No embe 2025.
25. "Mission Lock" (h ps://www. igh eousgela o.com/pages/mission-lock). Righ eous Gela o.
Ap il 2020.
26. "Mee The Cus odian o Cul u e & Chie Idea O ice a Fiasco" (h ps://www. ali i y.com/pod
cas s/ he-chad-cheese-podcas /mee - he-cus odian-o -cul u e-chie -idea-o ice -a - iasco/)
(Podcas ). The Chad & Cheese Podcas (Tali i y Podcas s). 24 Ma ch 2019. Re ie ed
21 No embe 2025.
27. "Tim Galles" (h ps://e en s.sus ainableb ands.com/con e ences/sb21/speake / im-galles/).
Sus ainable B ands Li e E en s. July 21, 2021.
28. Galles, Tim (11 Oc obe 2022). "How o Build a Be e B and — and Why You Wan One" (h
ps://ad e isingweek.com/how- o-build-a-be e -b and-and-why-you-wan -one/). Ad e ising
Week. Ad e ising Week. Re ie ed 21 No embe 2025.
Re ie ed om "h ps://en.wikipedia.o g/w/index.php? i le=Chie _idea_o ice &oldid=1323369673"
