Meet the Engineer Who Helped Shape Spotify’s Global Growth

Chris grew up on the Central Coast before moving to Newcastle to study a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Laws/Diploma of Legal Practice at the University of Newcastle. Immersed in campus life, he served as captain and treasurer of the University’s Rugby League team. It was also during this time that he met Susan, a fellow student who would later become his wife of 25 years.

Chris graduated with an open mind about his future. Rather than pursuing the traditional path into law, he cast a wide net with his graduate applications and secured a tech-focused role at Qantas. This unexpected pivot ultimately shaped the trajectory of his career.

“I was very fortunate to land that role. From that point, I’ve remained in tech. It’s ended up being a great career, so it’s interesting how getting THAT job changed my trajectory…”

After Qantas, Chris and Susan took a bold step and moved to the United States to pursue new career opportunities. Settling in New York brought its share of challenges, from opening bank accounts and navigating social security to finding housing, but the rewards outweighed the hurdles. There’s nothing quite like living in New York, and today, they proudly call the city home.

After a stint as Tech Lead at Barnes & Noble, Chris joined the team at Spotify in 2013, well before it became the global streaming giant it is today. At Spotify, he worked on some of the platform’s most influential features, including the Discover Weekly and Release Radar playlists.

Discover Weekly delivers a personalised playlist of around 30 songs, often featuring tracks listeners have never heard before. It marked a breakthrough in using AI for taste prediction by anticipating what users will love based on their listening habits, introducing them to emerging artists, and giving them a reason to return to the app each week.

Employees devoted their ‘Hack Week’ to bringing the concept to life, and what began as an experiment quickly evolved into one of Spotify’s most loved features.

“The tech at that time was pretty innovative and the packaging was even more innovative.  The hack week project was a hit and product team decided to release it to consumers. The idea of having this new playlist to listen to every Monday really excited our users and it was a massive hit.”

Throughout his decade at Spotify, Chris had a front-row seat to Spotify’s meteoric rise and played an integral part in building the innovative products that helped it scale. Reflecting on his time with the company, Chris believes that being first to market and offering a free product were two of the most critical and defining decisions; strategic moves that accelerated Spotify's global success and cemented its early lead in the streaming industry.

The company secured early deals with record labels, marketed itself effectively (particularly in its home country of Sweden), and swiftly captured the music market. At the time, most listeners were either purchasing tracks on iTunes or pirating music. Spotify presented a legal, accessible alternative that gave users instant access to virtually every song in the world, something Chris describes as truly game-changing.

As Spotify expanded across Europe and into the US in 2011, its growth became viral.

“Another major driver for growth was our yearly Wrapped (a visualised summary of a users annual listening habits), which has become a viral moment every year. And if you didn't have Wrapped and all your friends are talking about it, you'd want to have it next year. It's these products that kept Spotify's competitors at bay. Everyone was worried as players like Apple, Google and Amazon all introduced competing products over the years, but Spotify was able to hold them out with great brand recognition and defining products.”

Chris’s background in Law with a Psychology major has continued to serve him well throughout his career, particularly his understanding of human behaviour.  Chris takes pride not only in the engineering milestones he’s achieved, but also in his growth as a thoughtful and empathetic leader.

“I think before that, I thought of the manager as the boss, but I learnt there that it’s the other way around. It’s the manager’s job to serve the people who are actually doing the work and help them succeed.”

Chris’ time at Spotify not only shaped his career but also helped him discover the kind of person he aspired to be. When he was first introduced to Spotify’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) programs, he felt an immediate connection. A strong believer in creating a world where everyone has the opportunity to thrive, Chris made it his mission to help shift Spotify’s culture to better reflect the diversity of its global audience.

“Music is universal and for Spotify to succeed it needed to have the opinions of all people, providing input and building a product that appeals to all. Gender was the first issue, so I applied myself to programs like Girls Who Code, the goal being to encourage girls to pursue careers in Software Engineering, and Grace Hopper, where I met the next generation of female engineers and encouraged them to join Spotify.”

Chris also helped to establish a Fellowship Program that opens doors for software engineers from non-traditional backgrounds. The 16-week program offered participants the opportunity to learn, grow, and work within Spotify, with the potential for full-time employment at its conclusion.

“Most of the participants came from underrepresented backgrounds, many were starting second careers, and the majority were non-male and non-Caucasian. The program was an overwhelming success, with 95% of fellows being hired into permanent roles at Spotify, where they went on to have lasting and impactful careers. The contributions that those engineers were able to make at Spotify is something I’m extremely proud of.”

Now, Chris brings that same passion and expertise to Hinge, where he’s helping shape the company during a critical growth phase.

“Hinge feels a bit like Spotify did in the early days. The work I do has an immediate impact, and I’m able to bring the best practices I learned at Spotify to a new environment.”

From small beginnings at the University of Newcastle to global tech leadership, Chris’s career is a testament to the power of saying yes to unexpected opportunities and never underestimating where a hack week, a psychology major, or even a law degree might take you.

Check out our Alumni Playlist on Spotify, featuring songs from talented graduates making their mark in the industry.