Michael O'Leary | Assistant Director-General / Chief Information Officer
Queensland Department of Education

Michael O’Leary is the Assistant Director-General and Chief Information Officer in the Information and Technologies Branch of Queensland’s Department of Education. Michael provides strategic advice to the Director-General and statutory agencies on the best use of ICT for the department. Being in the role since October 2015, he leads a diverse portfolio; incorporating application development, policy creation and information management, ICTs for learning, business support, as well as overseeing the provision of ICT services to over 650,000 state school students and staff members across Queensland. Michael has spent over three decades in the education sector, as a teacher and principal in regional and metropolitan areas as well as in statewide strategic policy. He also holds a Masters in Education (Information Technology) from Deakin University. Michael believes that new tools such as Generative AI, have changed the way many educators and workers look at digital tools in enabling their work.  We have the potential to leverage this thinking to support a significant evolution in digital learning and teaching practice while educating staff and students on the ethical and moral appropriate use of this technology.