CHRIS WALSH
Sydney
Summary
Accomplished customer operations executive with over 20 years of experience leading large teams of 2000+ employees in the transport and communication sectors. Skilled in driving transformative change and enhancing customer experience, resulting in record levels of customer satisfaction. Demonstrated genuine care for people, enabling the leadership of highly engaged teams that consistently deliver exceptional outcomes for customers. Proven track record in service management, promoting team collaboration, adaptability to changing needs, and delivering impactful results. Excels in strategic planning, process optimisation, and customer relationship management. Recognised for reliability, effective communication, and a results-driven approach.
Overview
19
19
years of professional experience
Work History
Head of Service Experience
Transport for NSW (TfNSW)
Sydney, New South Wales
08.2022 - 12.2024
- Company Overview: TfNSW is a statutory authority created to manage transport services in the state and controls Sydney Trains, the suburban passenger rail network serving the city, with 377M journeys made each year
- Led customer service experience and operations across all 165 railway stations within the Sydney Trains network and multi-disciplinary support teams (+2000 employees)
- Oversaw $254M OPEX and $25M CAPEX budgets, delivering accountability and maximising service outcomes
- Divisional representative on the 'Customer Experience' Sub Committee, continuing to evolve digitisation and customer centricity programs for enhanced customer experiences
- Branch lead on complex issues and disputes under the WH&S Act and Industrial Relations provisions
- Established a best practice customer service capability by introducing a robust performance management framework and formal KPIs, driving accountability and performance gains
- Elevated customer service capability to achieve, at peak, a 92% customer satisfaction score (from 78%), the highest level achieved in the history of Sydney Trains
- Drove a major program of workplace change across the Fare Compliance Unit (230 unionised workers), increasing uptake of field starts from 20% to 80% (flexible start-points)
Deputy Executive Director/Director, Service Experience
Transport for NSW (TfNSW)
Sydney, New South Wales
10.2014 - 08.2022
- Accountable for leading customer service operations across Sydney Trains’ largest region (110 railway stations) and building upon existing work completed to continue to uplift overall customer experience
- Provided leadership to +1000 across the Customer Service function and Operations Support teams under a shared services model, including incident response and competence assurance training
- Provided change leadership in the operationalisation of digital projects such as e-tickets and the introduction of Opal cards, initiatives that have won multiple awards for design excellence
- Lifted Employee Engagement Climate Score by 8% and improved all seven elements of the 'pulse' survey, building leadership capability to improve support to employees
- Achieved a score of 6.4/7 for station cleanliness, the highest on record for the region, ensuring smooth implementation of cultural and structural changes under the 'Fixing the Trains' reform
- Led process improvement projects, increasing operational efficiency.
- Streamlined operations by introducing new technologies and methods.
- Fostered a work culture of collaboration and inclusion to increase morale and reduce turnover.
Acting General Manager, Customer Information & Intelligence
Transport for NSW
02.2014 - 10.2014
- Engaged in a remedial role by the ED Customer Service to lead a deep dive review of the 'Customer Information Program', introducing an improved governance framework to drive performance
- Accountability for a $200M CAPEX and OPEX budget as a member of the leadership team
- Provided operational leadership to >100 employees spanning customer relations, information, marketing, and analysis, running workshops to facilitate creative and collaborative working
- Developed an implementation plan to enable in-house execution and retention of IP across the Customer Information Program, removing the need for external consultancy
- Led Customer Relations teams in reducing turnaround for customer feedback responses from 5 days to within 48 hours, creating a governance framework to improve performance
- Delivered a $1.8M p.a cost saving by in sourcing the 'Customer Central' innovation workshop
- Improved productivity of station teams by introducing mobility solutions, automating manual tasks, and establishing a project to deliver innovative information screens on stations
- Established a social media presence for Sydney Trains, creating the inaugural 'Twitter Team' to introduce contemporary customer service management
- Directed cross-functional teams, driving collaboration and achieving project milestones.
Stations Customer Manager, Wynyard & Circular Quay Group
Transport for NSW
Sydney, New South Wales
05.2013 - 02.2014
- Led customer service delivery across four railway stations (Wynyard, Circular Quay, North Sydney and Milsons Point), tasked to lead BAU operations while also embedding changes resulting from the 'Fixing the Trains' reform program
- Defined and implemented strategies to drive bottom-up cultural change and improve overall experience in stations, managing and aligning customer BAU in line with Sydney Trains vision
- Supported TfNSW in a mission to create a world-class rail system, leading the implementation of significant cultural and structural change programs aligned with a major reform program
- Elevated station staff visibility in the customer environment by introducing the first concourse and platform hubs, delivering this and other change initiatives with zero industrial disruption
- Researched market trends to better understand customer expectations.
National Operations Manager
Telestar Communications Pty Ltd
Sydney, New South Wales
10.2012 - 05.2013
- Company Overview: Telestar is a strategic Telstra Enterprise Partner providing end-to-end telco and billing solutions
- Turn-around role, engaged to design and implement a modified governance framework to meet Telstra channel partner obligations and retain critical licensee status
- Recovered distressed relationships with Telstra C-suite, securing buy-in to an agreed set of actions and introducing differentiated sales and customer service relationships models
- Supported Telestar in retaining channel partner status, reducing cost to service by $200K p.a, ensuring the continued operational viability of the organisation
National GM, Customer Service Relationship Management
Telstra Corporation Ltd
Sydney, New South Wales
02.2011 - 10.2012
- Company Overview: Telstra (ASX: TLS) is Australia's largest telecommunications company which builds and operates networks and markets voice, mobile and internet products, with ~32K staff generating $26BN p.a
- Promoted to take on national accountability for 160 Customer Service Relationship Executives across 520 Enterprise & Government clients, protecting and growing revenues of $2.2BN p.a
- Identified and implemented initiatives to improve customer satisfaction scores, collaborating with peers to develop tools and process frameworks optimising service management models
- Partnered with stakeholders across sales and business teams in developing bids, engaging peers to drive a unified position towards the customer and improve overall outcomes
- Functioned as Chair of the Cross Business Unit Stakeholder Council during tenure as National GM, identifying and converting process frameworks to drive continued operational improvement
- Achieved an overall customer satisfaction score of 88% on the Telstra External Customer Value survey, leading and developing teams to secure the highest scores on record
- Delivered a 20% reduction in customer complaints across the portfolio, a result of initiatives implemented in partnership with peers to drive continuous improvement
- Played a critical role in implementing the Net Promoter Score (NPS) system, establishing key stakeholder communications explaining the 'why' behind a pioneering initiative for the time
- Received a 2012 Group Managing Director Award for outstanding contribution to the Telstra & Government business, a recognition in part for advocacy of the NPS system (above)
- Significantly exceeded expectations for leadership attributes (annual review taking), a rare achievement within the organisation, with performance ratings exceeding expectations for business results
Group Manager NSW, Customer Service Relationship Management
Telstra Corporation Limited
Sydney, New South Wales
05.2006 - 02.2011
- Led a team of 60 Service Directors/Executives assigned to the largest Telstra clients in NSW
- Drove improved customer satisfaction across the portfolio to achieve the highest scores on record since external surveys began, executing initiatives to optimise service management
- Received the 'Leadership Excellence' Award for FY06/07 and FY07/08, the highest accolade in Telstra Enterprise & Government
- Achieved the Sales 'Line of Business' Award in 2009, recognition for leading a collaborative, cross unit team in improving customer service and satisfaction results in external surveys
- Promoted a culture of continuous improvement, driving process enhancements.
- Improved client relations by implementing feedback-driven strategies.
Skills
- Customer Experience (CX) Operations
- Employee Engagement
- Customer Satisfaction
- Leadership
Education And Professional Development
- Stepping Ahead Leadership Program - Transport for NSW (TfNSW)
- Finance for Non-Financial Managers - Australian Graduate School of Management (AGSM)
- Senior Leaders Program - Telstra
- Next Generation People & Performance Management - Telstra
- Problem Solving & Decision Making - Kepner Tregoe Inc.
- Leading Executives Program - NSW Public Service Commission
- Prosci Change Management for Senior Leaders - Prosci
- Higher School Certificate
Key Assets
- Proven leader with 20+ years of experience driving customer experience (CX) operations and business transformation.
- Delivered record employee engagement (+8%) and highest ever customer satisfaction scores (92%) across diverse sectors.
- Expertise in strategic planning, including people, process and technology transformation.
- Change enabler (Prosci change leadership) with a track record of embedding customer-focussed cultures in unionised and diverse workforce environments.
- Skilled in leading and managing large teams (2000+), while driving productivity and operational excellence.
- Budget management (Opex $254m, Capex $25mil)
- Experienced public speaker and presenter.
- Skilled networker, collaborator and working constructively within teams.
Timeline
Head of Service Experience - Transport for NSW (TfNSW)
08.2022 - 12.2024
Deputy Executive Director/Director, Service Experience - Transport for NSW (TfNSW)
10.2014 - 08.2022
Acting General Manager, Customer Information & Intelligence - Transport for NSW
02.2014 - 10.2014
Stations Customer Manager, Wynyard & Circular Quay Group - Transport for NSW
05.2013 - 02.2014
National Operations Manager - Telestar Communications Pty Ltd
10.2012 - 05.2013
National GM, Customer Service Relationship Management - Telstra Corporation Ltd
02.2011 - 10.2012
Group Manager NSW, Customer Service Relationship Management - Telstra Corporation Limited
05.2006 - 02.2011
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