Learn From Industry Experts: Meet the Mentor - Iain Robertson

If you’re considering a career boost with a postgraduate qualification in IT, you’ll want to hear Iain’s story. With over 30 years in the tech industry, Iain has worked across government, higher education, defence, and the private sector. He now mentors students in some of Charles Sturt University’s most cutting-edge online IT postgraduate courses — delivered in partnership with IT Masters.

@itmasters.edu.au ♬ original sound – IT Masters

“I first did an IT Masters-based master’s degree starting back in 2007. I think at the time I was working for a large government institution, and I was sort of on a track towards management. So I decided to do the Master in IT Management*…”

*The Master of Management Information Technology has now been recreated as the Master of Business Administration (Computing – with Specialisations) check it out here.

Iain first became involved with IT Masters through his connections with the System Administrators Guild of Australia and found his early experience so positive that he went on to complete a second postgraduate degree in Information Systems Security (now the Master of Cyber Security).

“A couple of years ago, I was approached about a vacancy teaching cloud architecture. I had a chat with a few people at IT Masters, agreed to take it on, and have been teaching that subject ever since.“

His enthusiasm for teaching is driven by the rewarding nature of helping others succeed — especially those switching careers or advancing their skills in cyber security and cloud infrastructure.

“The thing I enjoy the most is seeing the students start to really get the topic… The deep thinking, the challenging questions — it’s a buzz. And it’s just as common for me to learn from students as it is for them to learn from me.”

Now working as a Customer Success Engineer for a global network security company, Iain credits his teaching role with improving his ability to explain complex technical topics to a broad audience — especially useful when working with stakeholders from non-technical backgrounds.

Subjects Iain Teaches in Our Online IT Postgraduate Courses

If you’re aiming to master cloud computing, infrastructure design, or virtualisation, you can study directly under Iain in these key subjects:

🧱ITE523 Virtualisation Delivered in Session 1, The subject explores the installation, configuration, and management of VMware vSphere virtualization software. The subject will help students prepare to take the examination to become a VMware Certified Professional.
☁️ITE531 Architecting Cloud Solutions Offered in the upcoming Session 2 intake starting 14 July, this subject will help students prepare for the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Certified Solutions Architect industry certification. Students will study important characteristics of a successful cloud-based implementation, including those that relate to scalability, security, reliability, durability, and cost effectiveness. This learning will be applied through the design of an optimal cloud-based system in accordance with a set of project requirements..

Short Courses Iain Has Delivered

In addition to degree subjects, Iain has also taught free short courses designed to introduce key IT concepts and help students earn credit towards postgraduate study.

🔌Networking Certification Essentials (2025) This subject introduces foundational concepts in networking, covering protocols, infrastructure, and certifications like CompTIA Network+ and CCNA. It has been designed for professionals looking to validate or refresh their networking skills.
🔐Next-Gen Network Security (2024) Focused on modern cyber security fundamentals, this course explored next-generation firewalls, intrusion prevention systems, and early-career pathways in information security. It served as a great taster for postgraduate study in network defence.

Both short courses can be used to earn subject credit — saving time and money when transitioning into a full degree. You can view our entire subject offering for 2025 by course here.