What is a Chief Knowledge Officer?

Pulled the following note from a great KM book I'm reading. The chapter titled "What is a Chief Knowledge Officer?" closes with the following comment: "If you have ever been involved in a new program or initiative, you know how difficult it is to get things going. It's like trying to turn a battleship. The field of change management focuses on ways to implement change within an organization despite resistance. Most CKOs regard their ability to master change management as a critical success factor."
Also, in the section where it talks about where the CKO might "perch" in the corporation, there are four likely places: separate stand-alone office, with the CIO, the corporate training function, or with human resources. In each of the instances where it is part of a larger organization, the author "has seen this work poorly, as the CKO is sent to the back of the business bus. Why take the chance of lukewarm support from someone with other things on his or her mind?" The author goes on to say, "another flaw with this approach is that the CKO's boss hobnobs with the honchos, not the CKO. At the routine meetings of the senior executives, the CKO's boss sits at the table, not the CKO. The CKO loses much of his or her needed access. Since gaining support of senior management is a critical success factor for CKO;s, this severly hobbles them." "Putting a CKO in such a function also sends a message that knowledge management is merely part of a traditional function. It is nothing special, just a heretofore undiscovered aspect of an old friend. It isn't so important."

Sound familiar? What are some ways to correct an org chart built by clueless leaders? Are they really open to suggestions from change agents like us?