Do you really need a chief transformation officer?

Caution: This article may upset certain people who carry a chief (fill in the blank) officer title.

At a recent negotiation on a large partnership between a startup company and a large manufacturer, I was asked for my opinion. I asked where the large manufacturer plan planned to host the new startup collaboration. The response was “the innovation department.” I asked how much success came out of the innovation department and the answer was none.