On Anzac centenary, channel's military vets share lessons in leadership

Air Force: Geoff Rohrsheim

Director, Kloud and Chamonix

Co-founder of Microsoft cloud specialist Kloud, Geoff Rohrsheim was in the very first class of the Australian Defence Force Academy back in 1986. While completing the three-year officer training at ADFA, he also completed an honours degree in Aerospace Engineering at RMIT in Melbourne.

Upon graduation in 1989, Rohrsheim became an engineering officer in the Royal Australian Air Force. "My first job was second-in-charge of the maintenance squadron at RAAF Base Edinburgh in Adelaide: three shifts running 24 hours supporting the P3 Orion maritime patrol aircraft. It was an amazing experience at age 21 to learn people and logistics management."

Rohrsheim then transitioned into managing computer systems for the air force while attending night school to attain a postgraduate degree in IT. After stints at DSTO and RAAF logisitics command, he left the force in 1995.

"I was fortunate that in the 10 years I was in the military I wasn't involved in any active service. My two younger brothers who followed me did see active duty," Rohrsheim said.

Along with the "excellent" technical and leadership knowledge, Rohrsheim said the two most important things he learnt from the air force were having a clear strategy and empowering people to do their work without micro-management.

"Think of those small teams of soldiers on patrol in Afghanistan while the generals are back in Canberra. The military does that really well," said Rohrsheim.

"Something that is often not understood about the military is that there is a perception that 'the orders come from above and you just do as you're told'. That couldn’t be further from the truth. It just wouldn’t work."

Next: Navy man's buoyant IT career