In our Meet the APAC Team series, we’re introducing you to the people in our region who are making things happen. We hope you enjoy getting to know the people behind Canvas!
Implementation is where learning management system (LMS) transitions succeed or stall. The experience it creates—for staff, students, and system administrators—can shape how people feel about the change from day one.
That’s why implementation managers play such a critical role in the success of a rollout. They translate complexity into clear next steps, work across teams to align systems and people, and help institutions avoid the common pitfalls of change.
Christopher McAvaney is one of the people leading that work. Based in Victoria, he supports institutions globally, including in the Asia-Pacific region, to launch with confidence. With a background in systems management and integration, he brings deep technical knowledge and a calm, structured approach to every rollout.
Q: Can you tell us a little bit about your role and what your day-to-day looks like?
I’m an implementation manager on the global services team. My role kicks in once an institution signs on with Canvas. We use checklists for almost everything we do, and those are visible to customers throughout the project. That way, they can track where we’re up to in the plan.
If Canvas is part of a bigger program of work at their organisation, they can see how our timeline fits into that. We don’t want to blindfold people: we’re always open about what’s happening and when.
Q: What drew you to Instructure?
I was drawn to Instructure through a suggestion from a colleague and the organisation’s culture. I liked the idea of moving into a role where I could support institutions in a more consultative way.
Q: What’s something you’re particularly passionate about in your work?
Sometimes you're working with a school where one person is doing everything. They’ve got knowledge of all their systems, but they’re also overwhelmed. That’s where we tailor how we respond, so it’s not just another thing adding to the pressure. We make it a simple and structured process and step them through it.
Q: How do you approach working with customers in the APAC region?
It really depends on the size of the organisation. Some have a full team managing enrolments, human resources, and content. Others are smaller, with maybe just one person covering everything.
We also make sure the right people are involved early on. That often includes the folks who understand the internal decisions and policies behind their existing systems. If they’ve been part of the process, we can talk at the same level when we’re digging into various parts of Canvas. It avoids a mismatch.
Q: What’s one thing you wish more customers understood about the implementation process?
It really helps to have the right people involved from the beginning. Often, the people we work with during implementation aren’t the same ones who handled procurement or the early decision-making, and sometimes that handover doesn’t happen cleanly.
That can slow things down or lead to confusion, especially if earlier decisions weren’t documented clearly. We try to scaffold the process so it doesn’t become overwhelming, and make sure people have the right information at the right time.
Q: What do you enjoy most about working in the APAC team?
We’re a global team and we all work fairly asynchronously, but everyone’s really helpful. The communication is consistent: we all stay across what’s happening on each project, which helps us support each other and our customers. It means if someone takes leave or needs to step back, someone else can pick up the work and keep things moving.
Q: And just for fun, what’s something people might not know about you?
I’m a bit of a tinkerer. I do home maintenance and play around with electronics, things like Raspberry Pi or microcontrollers for smart home automation. I also volunteer at a repair café during school terms. People bring things like bikes, hair straighteners, or coffee machines, and we show them how to fix them instead of throwing them away.
I also used to ride and volunteer with the Great Victorian Bike Ride every year. I did it for about 15 years. These days, I still like getting out on the bike with my kids and riding along the river.
Christopher’s communicative, collaborative approach to implementation is what you can expect from our team as a whole. No matter who you’re working with, we’re here to make the process feel manageable and set you up for long-term success.
Connect with Christopher on LinkedIn.
