A missing product role

Every product needs a champion. Trouble is, in the enterprise application
software space, sometimes this role is left unfilled.

Lately it seems like the enterprise space is dominated by project/program
methodology, more than software design methodology.

When your customer is the product owner, the team does not have a champion
to rally around.

With all the emphasis on cost and schedule (customer) who is the champion
of good ideas, of consistency, of integrity, of quality?

The customer certainly feels entitled to these things, but as a
non-practitioner, cannot lead us into practices that yield them.

Technical architect? Solution architect? Product manager? I think that
all these roles are defined too narrowly, and vested with too little
authority. I am looking for a champion – who takes on all comers to ensure
that the best decisions are made for the long term value of the product.