Chris Crist

Dr. Chris Crist is the Senior Deputy General Manager and Chief Information Officer at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the world’s busiest airport. He is responsible for enterprise technology, cybersecurity, data, engineering, and digital transformation supporting more than 108 million passengers annually and a workforce of approximately 63,000 employees.

Dr. Crist leads a large, multi-disciplinary IT organization organized around four core pillars: Data, Cybersecurity, Engineering, and IT Operations. His portfolio includes network resiliency, enterprise platforms, AI-enabled passenger processing, predictive maintenance, and modernization of critical infrastructure across one of the most complex operational environments in the world.

Prior to joining ATL, Dr. Crist served as Chief of Enterprise Transformation and DevSecOps at U.S. Transportation Command. In this role, he was tasked with modernizing 77 Programs of Record spanning a $550 million portfolio. His responsibilities included the creation of a Department of Defense cloud environment, building and leading a team of cloud professionals to operate and govern that environment, and executing the cloud migration of all 77 Programs of Record. He also led the adoption of modern cybersecurity practices including Zero Trust, DevSecOps, and modern approaches to achieving NIST Risk Management Framework compliance, while advancing the use of AIOps to improve resilience, security, and operational insight across DoD cloud environments.

Earlier in his career, Dr. Crist served as a hospital Chief Information Officer in the civilian healthcare sector and held senior IT leadership roles in the United States Air Force. He began his career as a combat medic before transitioning into technology and assumed IT leadership responsibilities at the age of 19, an experience that set the foundation for early responsibility, accelerated growth, and high-stakes decision-making.

Dr. Crist continues to serve as a commissioned officer in the U.S. Air Force Reserve. He holds a Doctor of Education in Leadership and Learning in Organizations from Vanderbilt University, an MBA with an IT emphasis, and a bachelor’s degree in software engineering. He is the recipient of the CIO of the Year ORBIE Award and is recognized for leading large-scale transformation in complex, mission-critical environments across transportation, healthcare, and defense.