Charlotte McCullough, 1 November, 2024
As the Head of the Digital Transformation Agency for the Australian Government, Chris Fechner has seen and shaped the evolution of technology from the dawn of personal computing to the AI-driven present. His career passion has become the pursuit of innovation, efficiency, and public service advancements. Chris shares his insights on leveraging technology responsibly, fostering continuous learning, and leading digital transformation with empathy and purpose. His reflections serve as a guide for navigating the rapid changes of the digital age and thriving in a tech-obsessed world.
My career has evolved alongside the development of digital technologies. From the early days of personal computers to the rise of artificial intelligence, I have used these technological advances to make meaningful contributions for people, businesses, and the environment. Here’s the key advice I’ve learned from the forefront of an ever-evolving digital landscape:
Embrace Technology to Innovate and Improve Efficiency
Early in my career, finding more efficient ways of doing existing work using digital technologies was incredibly exciting. I was able to automate, optimise, and scale work far beyond the existing manual systems, creating positive impacts to save time, reduce expenses, increase volumes, and improve profitability. I loved this challenge, and it inspired a deep-seated passion for leveraging technology to solve complex problems and push the boundaries of what’s possible—something that still drives me to expand my knowledge and skills today.
Prioritise Continuous Learning and Personal Growth
Commitment to personal growth has not only kept me at the forefront of industry trends but also enabled me to inspire and mentor the next generation of leaders. Staying relevant in our ever-evolving digital landscape requires a dedication to learning, adapting, and applying new skills to make a meaningful impact.
Approach Technology with Responsibility and Empathy
New digital systems are often not well understood and can sometimes be frightening, introducing changes in people’s roles and sometimes removing them altogether. There’s also the risk of getting it wrong. I remember vividly the day I, through complacency, accidentally deleted all the data from a payroll system! The result was over 5,000 angry people being paid late, a 24-hour work marathon for not just me but for my whole team to restore the system, and a very severe dressing down from my manager and my manager’s manager—an experience permanently ingrained in my psyche. Technology can cause harm when you only think of your objective, become careless, or fail to empathise with the people impacted by the change. With great power comes great responsibility.
Use Digital Transformation to Enhance Your Industry
One of the key themes to emerge from my career is harnessing the power of digital transformation to accelerate government impact. During my time as the Chief Digital and Customer Officer at Service NSW, I had the privilege of leading teams across many digital initiatives aimed at providing great experiences for people. We were tasked with making it safer, easier, and more convenient to access services, no matter where or when people needed them. Helping people during both disasters and in their daily lives was transformative and reshaped the way government can serve the public.
Lead Through Collaboration and Shared Purpose
As CEO of the federal Digital Transformation Agency (DTA), the decisions my team and I make, impact the digital transformation of services that affect all Australians. These cover a vast array of areas from health, social services, education and employment to international relations, border management, law and order, the environment, and the economy. Success in these initiatives comes from uniting people around a common goal and fostering a culture that embraces both empathy and continuous improvement.
The power of leadership, a shared purpose, empathy, collaboration, and leading-edge technology creates a potent combination.
Drive AI Innovation Responsibly
Artificial intelligence is a global hot topic and as the Head of the Australian Government Digital Profession, I direct, lead, and (hope to) inspire the current and future generations of digital professionals in government. How AI is used by the Australian Government, and whether our people and businesses have the trust and confidence in it, is a new challenge for both me and the Digital Transformation Agency. By innovating and adapting quickly, we will seize the immense opportunities created by AI.
Cultivate Expertise in Emerging Fields
Managing our AI initiatives simultaneously across almost 200 entities is demanding. Leading this work requires expert coordination, wide-ranging research, co-design, communication, and rapid development of expertise in an area that is evolving daily. To succeed, we must adopt ethical AI principles to build trust, ensure our AI applications deliver value and safety, and advance government services that harness AI for society’s benefit.
Together, we must aim to be safe, responsible, transparent, accountable, and inclusive as we pave an exciting way forward with AI and other emerging technologies.
Chris Fechner
QUT degrees – Bachelor of Applied Science (Class of 1986); Executive Master of Business (Class of 2012)
Do you have a question for Chris? Connect with him on LinkedIn.
Author
Charlotte is a Marketing and Communications specialist with more than two decades’ experience predominantly in the tertiary education sector. Her expertise is in brand development, content creation, event management, and stakeholder engagement. She enjoys sharing stories from inspiring alumni and harnessing the power of effective communication.