ACT Education Minister Joy Burch said Mr Marron would be missed but his legacy would remain within CIT - an institution he led with great strength.

"Adrian understood the power for education to change lives for the better," she said.

"He understood well that to provide a person an education would make a difference."

Mr Marron began work with CIT in May 2010, after serving as the managing director of TAFE SA's Adelaide North institute.

Before establishing a career in the tertiary sector, Mr Marron worked as a music manager and promoter and on an oil rig in the North Sea for three years. He also worked at a brewery in PNG for four years before settling in Australia.

Mr Marron spent much of 2013 in hospital. He received a bone marrow transplant before returning to his position with the institute in early 2014.

CIT chief executive Leanne Cover said he would be remembered for his passion for life and quirky sense of humour.

"He worked tirelessly to improve the quality of vocational education and training in Canberra and Australia," she said.

"During his five years leading CIT, Adrian ably guided CIT through significant changes in the vocational education and training environment, while making sure he was always personally available to CIT staff and students who wanted to discuss an idea or issue."

In a statement, Ms Burch said Mr Marron was a fierce advocate for CIT and "a true servant of the public good".

"He will be missed, but his legacy will continue through the many students' lives he influenced and through the institution, CIT, that he made so strong," she said.

"He understood that this community could not function without the skilled workforce that CIT trained each and every day."

Mr Marron was a fellow of the Australian College of Educators, a board member of the TAFE Directors Association, and a fellow of the Australian Institute of Management.