You would think that a Chief Data Officer would be focussed squarely on facts, figures and statistics but if you ask Michael Carroll what he does, he won't start with technology or dashboards. For Michael, it's about people, decisions, and making sure the right information is in the right hands at the right time.
Michael's role centres on transforming data into meaningful insights that help Communities make better decisions to support the rest of the organisation. It's not just about having data; it's more about using it well.
"It's rarely about the data," he explains. "It's about relationships and trust and making sure that what my team does supports the objectives of Communities."
For Michael, the data represents the people that frontline staff get to meet, and the rest of the organisation needs to understand. He focuses on setting clear standards, finding ways to improve the way the team delivers, and ensuring data is valued as a strategic asset. It's a balancing act: pushing change while staying grounded in what's practical.
"Big, dramatic change can be appealing," Michael says, "but it's often the steady, iterative improvements that truly make people's lives better."
His philosophy? Keep moving forward consistently and deliberately even within the realities of large, complex systems.
A winding path to where he is today
Michael's career journey has been anything but linear. Starting with ambitions to become a vet, he studied science teaching (which he did not enjoy at all) before finding his footing in intelligence analysis and security studies at QUT.
A pivotal moment came when he volunteered in Armenia during the winter of 1992–93. This experience as an aid worker in a town that had been the epicentre of the 1988 earthquake reshaped his outlook and ambitions about what he wanted to do with the skills he was learning.
From there, his career took him across community engagement roles in remote communities in Queensland, into policing in Western Australia, and through a range of government areas including intergovernmental relations, budget analysis, and central agency policy analysis.
"The secret was always saying yes to interesting opportunities," he reflects.
Like many leaders, Michael spends a significant portion of his day in meetings but acknowledges that these provide essential context and coordination across the work. What energises him most is his team. He's quick to highlight their curiosity, depth of skill, and shared commitment to making an impact.
One belief guides how Michael builds teams: "recruit to be surpassed" by actively looking for someone who could one day do his job better than him – and who he would be happy to work for. He's also pragmatic about failure saying it is a part of learning so long as you are self-reflective and actually apply what you have learned to your work (to avoid repeating the same mistake).
What keeps him thinking and creating?
Like many problem-solvers, Michael's mind doesn't always switch off at night, and he says he worries whether internal changes are big enough or fast enough to keep up with those outside!
At home, he finds expression in a 'mad scientist cupboard' filled with homemade concoctions inspired by travel adventures. From Korean Makgeolli to Ethiopian Tej and Japanese umeshu, his hobby blends experimentation, learning, and creativity making things that people enjoy. The only challenge? Producing far more than can reasonably be consumed.
What you may be surprised to learn about our Chief Data Officer
Michael has previously built and launched rockets (complete with homemade propellant), he grew up in a highly structured religious community that he describes as "not a good fit for a questioning mind" and surprisingly, for someone who now works in data, "I was bad at maths until I got a great teacher in Year 11 and then it all clicked."
The Department of Communities is always looking for dedicated individuals to join our team. For more information and current opportunities, please visit Careers at Communities.
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