Robbie Stewart Applied Business Tutor

Robbie Stewart joins NMIT with a rich and varied career in business and education. His professional journey includes roles such as Systems-Based Manager for one of New Zealand’s largest commercial aviation companies, Managing Director of a craft brewery, and Microeconomics Forecaster for the automotive industry. He has also lectured extensively at the graduate and postgraduate level.

He holds a Bachelor of Social Science, a Bachelor of Commerce (Honors), a Postgraduate Diploma in Education, and an Advanced Certificate in Economic Analysis and Forecasting. Since 1991 Robbie has honed his teaching approach through years of experience in polytechnics, the University of Johannesburg, and The Independent Institute of Education. His ongoing research focuses on management, finance, and econometric forecasting and analysis.

Before arriving at NMIT—where he also serves as the Programme Team Lead for Adventure Tourism & Guiding and Aquaculture—Robbie worked as the Base Manager and tandem skydiving instructor for INFLITE Ski Planes, jumping from planes up to 20,000 feet above Franz Josef Glacier, harnessed to adventurous students trying something new.

Robbie says that in addition to lessons from his professional experience, he brings the skills he gained teaching skydiving to the classroom, especially when learners need extra encouragement. 

“In skydiving, people are overcoming something that’s pretty unnatural, and there’s a mental barrier to achieving their goal. When a student is struggling or believes they can’t do something, I use the same skills I did guiding people through jumps to remove those barriers and empower students to realise just how capable they are.”

With firsthand experience across a range of business sectors, Robbie understands the importance of making business theory practical, relevant, and engaging.

“I attempt to make the course as interactive as possible to help students connect theory with its real-world application. It’s important to balance academic concepts with hands-on experience so students can develop strong decision-making skills that set them up for success.”

One way Robbie brings real-world relevance into the classroom is through group simulations. Students are assigned to teams that function like real businesses—such as banks or telecommunications companies. Within these teams, each student takes on a specific role: manager, HR, accounting, or marketing. Working within a set budget, they’re tasked with developing a marketing campaign, including commissioning design work from NMIT photography students.

“The student acting as the manager learns the skill of working with people with diverse talents and bringing everyone together to get the best out of them. HR learns how to support people, and marketing learns how to express their ideas and communicate with a creative team.”

Robbie values NMIT’s emphasis on innovative, experiential learning and the opportunities for cross-disciplinary collaboration across its diverse programmes. 

“NMIT succeeds by bringing theoretical approaches often seen in universities into practical, hands-on learning environments. We have the space and mindset for innovation, allowing us to show students exactly how to apply what they learn.”