RMIT University · Associate Lecturer

Thomas Bierly

I help leaders understand AI, emerging tech & the future of work, with humour, rigour & real-world relevance.

Teaching-focused academic · Industry-tested · Student-approved

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From hacking government systems to teaching the next generation of leaders.

I'm an Associate Lecturer at RMIT University's School of Management, where I coordinate and teach MBA and Masters courses on AI & Workforce Transformation, Technology & Innovation, Cybersecurity, People Analytics, and Digital Entrepreneurship.

My PhD research examines automation, task reallocation, and sub-occupational labour market dynamics, using machine learning on large-scale job advertisement data to surface how work is quietly being reorganised beneath the surface of traditional occupational categories.

Before academia, I spent a decade in industry: performing penetration testing for the U.S. Government at KPMG, designing training solutions for Fortune 500 clients at Accenture, and leading M&A integrations and building VR retail environments at Telstra. I bring that perspective into every classroom.

93% Average Good Teaching Score
40+ M&A deals led at Telstra
40,000 Personnel trained across enterprise
80+ Federal servers pen tested

Essays on Automation

My research sits at the intersection of labour economics, automation, and organisational behaviour. Using clustering methods on large-scale job advertisement data, I examine how occupational tasks are being quietly redistributed.

I am completing my PhD thesis at RMIT and preparing empirical work for submission to journals including Labour Economics and Organization Science.

Labour Economics Automation Task Reallocation Machine Learning Job Advertisement Data

Things I'm building

In Progress

Book: Leading AI and Workforce Transformation

Bridging the gap between technical AI literacy, HR strategy, and leadership practice — a practical guide for leaders navigating workforce transformation.

Book AI & Leadership Workforce Strategy
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In Development

Augmented Double Diamond AI Platform

A multi-agent web application grounded in the peer-reviewed ADD framework — guiding teams through AI-assisted problem framing, divergent exploration, and convergent decision-making.

Multi-Agent AI-Assisted Design EdTech
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In Development

AI Virtual Human

An immersive simulation platform pairing AI-driven MetaHuman avatars with real-time voice synthesis. Students negotiate, coach, and present to virtual executives — receiving scored, structured feedback.

MetaHuman Voice Synthesis Simulation
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In Development

EOI Teaching Optimisation Platform

Streamlining the expression-of-interest and allocation process for sessional teaching staff — reducing administrative overhead and surfacing better matching between teaching loads and expertise.

Workforce Optimisation Higher Ed
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Current Courses

I teach at the MBA and Masters level, making technically demanding material genuinely accessible — and connecting theory directly to industry practice.

Postgraduate Leading AI and Workforce Transformation
Postgraduate Management of Technology and Innovation
Postgraduate Fundamentals of Cybersecurity
Postgraduate Technology Futures
Postgraduate Business Consulting
Postgraduate Digital Entrepreneurship
Undergraduate People Analytics

Experience

Academic

2025 – Present Associate Lecturer & ACDF RMIT University
2020 – 2025 Research Assistant & Sessional Lecturer RMIT University
2024 – 2025 Course Convenor & Lecturer UNSW
2020 Sessional Lecturer University of Melbourne

Industry

2013 – 2017 Senior L&OD / M&A Lead Telstra
2011 – 2013 Instructional Design Team Lead Accenture
2009 Federal Associate — IT Advisory KPMG
2007 – 2010 Instructional Systems & Web Dev Penn State University
2007 Business Analyst BNY Mellon
2007 Systems Analyst Vanguard

Education

Expected 2026 PhD in Economics RMIT University
2015 Master of Education Monash University
2010 BSc IST / BSc Security & Risk Penn State University

Awards

2021 VC's Award — Sessional Staff Member of the Year RMIT University
2023 Teaching Philosophy Award · Outstanding Contribution RMIT Online

Let's talk.

Research collaborations, teaching partnerships, or conversations about AI and the future of work.