Interview with our CHO

When people think about running a creative tech company, they often imagine innovation and big ideas.

But behind the scenes, it’s the quieter things, listening deeply, staying organised, mentoring others, that keep the wheels turning and the team moving as one.

As (CHO) Chief Happiness Officer of The Imagination Collaborative, Tristan Morrison does exactly that. With a background in HR and a natural affinity for people, Tris brings clarity to complexity and calm to chaos. She's the person behind the scenes making sure the culture is healthy, the wheels are turning, and the team feels heard, supported, and ready to deliver their best work.

We sat down with Tris to talk about operational thinking in a creative world, leading with empathy, and why the strongest foundations are often the ones you don’t see.

What’s your personal approach to running a smooth operation?

For me, it starts with calmness and clarity.

In a creative, fast environment, leadership isn’t about adding more noise. It’s about creating space for people to do their best work.

I focus on people first. When the team feels supported and clear on where we’re heading, everything else flows. Systems help too, but only if they support you rather than create more work. The goal is to build structure that enables creativity, not stifles it.

How do you make decisions when timelines get tight or priorities shift?

When everything changes at once, I try not to be swept up in the urgency. I take a moment to pause and reflect on what really matters.

I talk to the team, gather different perspectives and draw on intuition to make sense of the competing priorities. Once we have a way forward, I focus on communicating it clearly so the team feels grounded and able to keep moving.

What part of your role would surprise people?

How much time I spend mentoring others.

It’s one of the parts of my role I enjoy the most. Helping people develop and grow into their potential is deeply rewarding. I see it as an investment not just in individuals, but in the culture we’re building at The Imagination Collaborative.

Are there any tools, systems or habits you swear by to stay organised?

I believe the right systems should make life easier, not harder.

For me, staying organised is about creating simple structures that reduce workload and free up space for creative thinking. I rely on tools that allow us to see the big picture and the details at the same time. And personally, I’ve learned the power of carving out time to step back, reflect and reset. That habit alone makes me far more effective than any app or workflow.

How do you foster collaboration across such a multi skilled team spread across the globe?

It starts with trust.

When you bring together people from different disciplines, cultures and time zones, the most important thing is making sure everyone feels valued and heard. I try to create an environment where people can bring their whole selves to the table and feel confident contributing their expertise.

Clear communication is essential, but so is a sense of connection. Even small moments of human connection, a quick chat before a meeting or sharing a win or a funny story, go a long way in building collaboration across distances.

How has your approach to leadership evolved since founding TIC?

Founding The Imagination Collaborative has changed the way I think about leadership.

I’ve always believed in leading with empathy, but in a startup environment you learn quickly how important it is to balance that with decisiveness and pace.

These days I see my role less as “directing traffic” and more as holding the space for others to succeed. It’s about building confidence in the team, removing obstacles and keeping us focused on where we’re heading.

What’s one piece of advice you often give the team?

Don’t lose sight of the human element.

In a technology business, it’s easy to get caught up in tools and processes. But at the heart of what we do is people; our team, our clients, and the audiences they serve. When we stay focused on their experience, the rest tends to fall into place.

Where do you see the biggest opportunity for growth in how we deliver projects?

There’s a huge opportunity in refining how we connect technology and creativity.

As we continue to develop our tools and processes, I see us unlocking even more ways to help clients plan with confidence, make better decisions earlier and ultimately create experiences that feel effortless on the outside even if they were complex to deliver behind the scenes.

If you could automate one part of your job, what would it be?

Invoicing and accounts payable.

Those tasks are essential, but they don’t energise me in the same way as building culture or solving complex challenges with the team. If I could hand those over entirely to technology, I’d have even more space to focus on the people and priorities that move us forward.

When you’re not keeping us all on track, what do you like to do to switch off?

For me, switching off means slowing down and reconnecting.

I love being in the garden, cooking something simple, reading a great book or travelling with Iain and our dog. Those moments remind me that creativity often comes in the quiet spaces between the busy ones.

Final word?

At its heart, The Imagination Collaborative is about making complex things feel simple.

We’re building systems and culture that enable creativity, collaboration and confidence; for our team and for our clients. And as technology reshapes the industry, my focus will always be on the people at the centre of it all.

 Tris might not chase the limelight, but her fingerprints are all over TIC’s heartbeat.

From building systems that reduce noise, to cultivating a culture where collaboration thrives across continents, she brings a rare blend of empathy, structure, and foresight to everything we do. In an industry that moves fast and runs hot, she’s the quiet force making sure the work not only gets done, but gets done well; with care, clarity, and people at the centre.