Chris Locke

Chris Locke is the Chief Information Officer (CIO) at Flight Centre Travel Group, based in South Brisbane, Queensland. With over 20 years of experience at Flight Centre, he has progressed through various roles, starting as a developer and eventually leading the IT department. His leadership focuses on driving a cultural revolution within IT, emphasizing proactive management and enhancing operational efficiency.

Professional Background

• Current Role: CIO at Flight Centre Travel Group
• Experience: Over 20 years at Flight Centre, with a background in software development and IT management.
• Key Initiatives: Under Locke's leadership, the company has adopted observability tools to enhance productivity among travel consultants, shifting from reactive to proactive incident management. This shift aims to maintain high service levels as the travel industry rebounds post-pandemic.13

Achievements

Locke has been instrumental in:

• Implementing Observability: He has reintroduced observability practices to improve system reliability and consultant productivity, significantly reducing resolution times for IT issues.1
• Cultural Change in IT: He aims to elevate the role of IT within the organization, ensuring that it supports the broader business goals effectively.24

Education

Locke holds a degree from Griffith University, which has contributed to his technical expertise and leadership skills in the IT sector.2

Future Directions

Looking ahead, Locke is focused on increasing automation within IT processes and managing the vast amounts of data generated by observability tools. He acknowledges financial constraints but remains committed to enhancing the IT infrastructure to better support Flight Centre’s operations.13