NT News’ Most Powerful list 2024: Numbers 120-81 named
From hospitality magnates, political newcomers, a pastoral king, construction, tourism and fishing figures, and two dedicated mayors – see who made the cut for the 2024 list.
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It’s that time of year again, Territorians.
Welcome to the first installation of the 120 Most Powerful list of 2024.
We have compiled the cream of the crop of Territorians who are working hard for the betterment of our community.
Last year was one for the books for the NT; we saw crisis levels of crime leading to curfews in Alice Springs, celebrated our strong women at the inaugural Woman of the Year awards, and had an election that resulted in a sweeping change of government.
Read on to see who made the cut with names up to #81 revealed.
Jump to: 100-81
120. Baker Boy
Widely regarded as one of the Territory’s most influential figures, award-winning Yolngu rapper, dancer, artist and actor Danzal Baker – better known as Baker Boy – has yet again shown why he is regarded as such.
He took a giant leap in 2024 by featuring in a single by American Pop rock band Imagine Dragons titled Take Me to the Beach. The band average about 58 million listeners per month on Spotify.
Earlier in the year, the local talent released his new single, King, and headlined Blaktivism 2024, a one-night-only concert featuring First Nations living legends and rising voices.
Baker Boy’s social media status continued to climb over the year, with the influencer accumulating more than 105,000 Instagram followers, 61,700 followers on TikTok and 363,000 monthly Spotify listeners.
119. Natasha Fyles
Replacing Lawson Broad as chief executive of Somerville will be no mean feat, even for a former Chief Minister.
The seven-year veteran in the role relocated to Sydney late last year, with Natasha Fyles replacing him in December 2024 in the coveted community services position after a competitive recruitment process that included at least two of her former Labor government colleagues.
In the larger states, former jurisdictional leaders would usually be offered board positions or some such sinecure, but few similar opportunities exist in the Territory.
Unlike the three chief’s before her, Fyles has stayed in the Territory.
Lawson Broad changed Somerville’s operational model from a housing, homelessness and financial counselling provider to delivering disability services and supported living.
Ms Fyles will now have a clean canvas onto which she can leave her own impression at the crucial community service provider.
118. Chansey Paech
He headed into 2024 as one of the Territory’s most powerful politicians, but after a landslide election loss, Chansey Paech, despite retaining his Gwoja seat, made a swift descent down the rungs of the Most Powerful 120 list.
The former Deputy Chief Minister has fallen to 118th position after placing 20th in 2023 and 2nd in 2022.
But not all was bad for Mr Paech, the former Attorney-General was one of four Labor MLAs to retain his seat in the 2024 NT election.
Mr Paech is now the shadow minister for about 11 different portfolios.
117. Mick Burns
If the producers of the axed Netflix series Territory want a change from dust and cattle, they could do worse than base a storyline around crocodile king Mick Burns.
A Territorian since 1981, he was originally a colourful NT copper before moving into hospitality and then pioneering the untapped business of crocodile farming.
He has teamed with French fashion label Hermes and others to supply top-shelf Territory leather.
Burns farms about 70,000 saltwater crocodiles across the Top End, and earlier this year hired a 100-tonne crane to deliver massive saltie Bullo to Crocosaurus Cove in Mitchell Street, which he helped develop two decades ago.
His big 2024 business play was divesting The Cavenagh Hotel, which he’s had since the early 2000s.
“I’ve had it for a long time and it’s time to move on,” he said when the sale was finalised.
116. Joel Bowden
Over the past two years, Joel Bowden’s position on the Most Powerful list has gone a bit like a footy match: He started strong, gained a lead but eventually fumbled the ball.
The former Johnston MLA and Richmond Footballer, Mr Bowden, who climbed from 79 to 56 in 2023, has dropped to spot 116 in 2024.
Mr Bowden in March 2024 faced harsh criticism from protesters who had urged him to revoke Defence Housing Australia’s permit to clear Lee Point for development.
The protesters claimed Mr Bowden had the “power to revoke” the permit.
In August, Mr Bowden was “asked to leave” Eaton polling booth for boisterous behaviour as voters turned up for pre-polling.
Although once considered a potential competitor for the Territory’s top leadership position, Mr Bowden in the 2024 NT election instead saw him ousted by Independent candidate Justine Davis in a staggering defeat that saw him come in third place.
Mr Bowden has since returned to his previous position as general manager of the NT Trades and Labour Council, a position he held for two years prior to being elected in 2020, according to his LinkedIn.
115. Thijs Bors
Sportsbet NT Operations and Partnerships Manager Thijs Bors has snagged a spot in the NT News’ Most Powerful list after he oversaw a massive year in the country’s richest fishing competition.
In April, on the final day of Season 9 of the Million Dollar Fish competition, Mr Bors oversaw the competition’s first ever million dollar winner.
In October at the start of Season 10, about $176k was paid out to anglers and Cancer Council NT, which Mr Bors also oversaw.
Mr Bors, who was not on 2023’s list, was born in the Netherlands, grew up in New Zealand and moved to Australia in 2005.
He joined Sportsbet NT in 2013 and moved through the ranks to become the NT Operations and Partnerships Manager in 2022.
114. Dr Albert Foreman
A visit to the Nakara surgery of 93-year-old Territory doctor Albert Foreman is like a trip back in time – except for the quality of care the ear nose and throat specialist delivers, which is thoroughly modern.
His walls are full of the memorabilia of a life interestingly lived, much of it in the service of Territorians – but also from exotic locations around the world.
He was 40 when he entered medicine, training in Papua New Guinea after working for years as a civil engineer building infrastructure like roads, towers and suburbs that are still used to this day.
He arrived here with the Commonwealth Department of Works in 1957 and executed high-profile projects like the Ludmilla subdivision, the Parap water tower and supervising unexploded bomb in Darwin Harbour.
His work took him to the Barkly and Alice Springs and even more exotic locations including Swaziland, Tanzania, Israel and India.
His surgery is open five days a week, and he is one of Australia’s oldest practising doctors.
A 2017 OAM went some way to honouring the achievements and contribution of this Northern Territory treasure.
113. Tom O’Neill-Thorne
In a sporting sense there are few Territory names that have accomplished as much as O’Neill-Thorne has in the past couple of years.
When it comes to the court there are few that can match his skills.
O’Neill-Thorne led the Darwin Salties to their second consecutive NWBL title last year, and it couldn’t have been anyone but him to sink the winning shot with seconds left on the clock.
That final was the type of scenario he thrives on and is why he has been a mainstay of the national side since breaking through in the 2014 World Championships.
He often takes his trade overseas to mix it with the best in the world, but when he’s back home he, alongside Clarence McCarthy-Grogan, helps teach the next generation the ins and outs of the sport.
112. Rob McPhee
Rob McPhee has proven a steady hand as chief executive of Danila Dilba for another year, inching forward in the rankings.
In 2024, Mr McPhee hosted a Timor Leste delegation to discuss potential solutions to the small island’s health struggles.
Conversations jumped from chronic understaffing, poverty, geographic barriers and dependency on other jurisdictions to accept referrals.
Mr McPhee told the Timor Leste delegates the heart of Aboriginal Community Controlled Health model was that it was “community-driven, they are run by the community.”
“They’ve got Indigenous populations who face very similar sorts of health issues to what we do here,” he said.
“Often they [the Aboriginal health practitioner] will know the family or they’ll be able to understand the circumstances of that individual, so it creates this whole lot of understanding right at the beginning of the process, and I think that’s what we can share with a place like Timor Leste.”
The Danila Dilba Health Service in February also received $3.3m for its new Darwin Healing and Recovery Service from the NT government and NT Primary Health Network.
111. Rebecca Bullen
As Darwin’s first and only female distiller, Rebecca Bullen has been a familiar face in the Territory hospitality scene.
Ms Bullen opened her first venue, Stone House Wine Bar and Kitchen, in 2016 and later founded Charlie’s of Darwin and Darwin Distilling.
Charlie’s of Darwin was named in the Top 20 bars to visit in the world in 2021.
In 2024, she, along with a handful of Top End businesses, combined to deliver a world-first tourist experience to the NT known as Heli-foraging.
Under the collaboration, parties of up to six fly by helicopter from Darwin Airport to Finiss River Lodge to search for the ‘botanicals’ used to flavour Darwin Distilling Co’s gin.
Bullen said she hoped the collaboration would draw attention to the NT.
“I think if we offer a unique experience like this, the world will want to come and experience Darwin,” she told this masthead.
“They want to experience the wonderful landscapes of the NT, and I think this will be on everyone’s to do list.”
Ms Bullen also represents the NT on the Australian Distillers Association and is chair of the Liquor Accord committee.
110. Patrick Moran
Chicago born and Iowa educated, Patrick Moran has lived in Darwin for a decade, working on policy with then Opposition Leader Lia Finocchiaro before responding to a call late last year to fill the vacant chief executive officer role with NT Live Exporters Association.
Through no fault of his, Moran joined the organisation at a challenging time, following a year without executive leadership after previous chief executive Tom Dawkins and chairman Ken Vowels were ‘disappeared’ from the organisation without explanation early last year.
The lack of CEO leadership was particularly stark when it was left to the NT Cattlemen Association’s Will Evans to deal with everything from a biosecurity threat that closed four export facilities to an outbreak of botulism on a boat an Indonesian-bound vessel that would normally have been the purview of exporters.
Regarded as a diligent operator with a broad interest in the Territory – he serves on the AFL tribunal and has undertaken other non-profit work – Moran is charged with restoring relevance to the once influential industry body.
109. Donna Ah Chee
Donna Ah Chee’s role as chief executive of the Central Australian Aboriginal Congress continued to be an important one in 2024.
As a strong advocate for Aboriginal health, Ms Ah Chee has consistently pushed for policies addressing social determinants of health and severe workforce shortages.
She was named as the recipient of the 2024 Menzies Medallion, the highest award offered by the Menzies School of Health Research.
The proud Budjalung woman was also awarded the Excellence in Rural/Remote Health Administration award at the National Rural and Remote Health Awards in November.
A credit to her achievements and advocacy, she was a finalist in the 2025 Australian of the Year Awards for the Northern Territory.
She retains her place at 107.
108. Hugh Heggie
He’s been at the top and at the bottom, but regardless of where he ends up the Northern Territory’s administrator finds a way on to the most powerful list.
The former chief health officer was the most powerful man during the Covid pandemic is now the NT’s 23rd Administrator.
Dr Heggie, alongside his wife Ruth, are a constant friendly face at countless functions and events as he takes chance after chance to get involved with the NT community.
Upon being appointed he said he would fill the role with “compassion and love” and it’s clear he’s still over the moon to get out and about to the community as much as possible.
The job has a three-year term in total, with a possible two year extension, and covers statutory, civic and ceremonial responsibilities.
Dr Heggie remains a campaigner for Indigenous health and is remembered for the role he played in helping keep the region safe during the pandemic.
107. Di Stephens
Dianne Stephens’ professional biography speaks for itself.
She graduated from University of Melbourne Medical School in 1988, specialising in anaesthesia and intensive care medicine.
She moved to Darwin in 1998 as the Territory’s first ICU specialist and as inaugural Director of Royal Darwin Hospital Intensive Care Unit, which she led until 2016.
Over almost three decades in the Territory, her expertise has broadened to include sepsis, melioidosis, critical illness, renal disease, Indigenous health and disaster medicine.
In 2016 she took her family to Fiji for a sabbatical year teaching ICU medicine through Fiji National University.
The following year she returned to Darwin as medical director at the National Critical Care and Trauma Response Centre, drawing on her disaster medicine experience with the Bali bombings, deployment into Iraq with the RAAF and working through Cyclone Winston in Fiji.
She led the NT’s medical response to Covid-19 and in recent years the successful push to found a stand-alone NT medical school – the first ever – in conjunction with CDU and Menzies School of Medicine.
Funding was finally announced last year for the school after much umming and ahing by the Commonwealth, and is expected to accept its first intake of 20 students in 2026.
106. Elizabeth Morris
The Chief Judge of the Local Court has remained a constant feature in the most powerful list, but has seen a fall in the rankings this time around.
Ms Morris in October fined Parks Australia $200,000 after a walkway was constructed against the advice of traditional owners, exposing a sacred men’s site to the public.
She said not only were the sacred rock artworks visible to the public, but it exposed women and children to the site Jawoyn leaders believed would cause them harm.
A month later, a controversial leaked email revealed a directive approved by Ms Morris, which stated any bail applications in the Alice Springs Local Court not finalised by 3pm would be marked as “not reached and adjourned.”
Prior to her appointment to the Local Court, Ms Morris served as executive director of racing, gaming and licensing, Department of Justice deputy chief executive and as deputy coroner.
As Territory courts brace for an expected record-breaking number of cases after tough on crime reforms put an ‘unsustainable’ pressure on the justice system, all eyes are on Ms Morris.
NT courts expect to see more than 22,000 criminal and domestic violence cases by the end of the 2024-25 financial year, an additional 3394 cases compared to 2023-24.
105. Grahame Webb
The Territory’s resident crocodile expert has again featured among the most powerful.
A zoology researcher and croc extraordinaire, Grahame Webb is a powerful environmental voice among Territorians.
The founder of Crocodylus Park and long-time reptile has made a huge contribution to crocodile management in the NT over the years.
But after a relatively quiet 2024, Mr Webb has climbed up a few rungs from last year’s 27 spot.
104. Dan Richards
Humpty Doo Barra chief executive Dan Richards’ influence can only grow in 2025.
Late 2024, Mr Richards was appointed as a member of the NT government’s Approvals Fast Track Taskforce, a team comprising of eight members and chaired by NT Property Council president Mark Garraway.
The task forces will work on “identifying reforms that can pave the way for a stronger NT economy, driving business growth and unlocking investment opportunities for local businesses”, according to a post by Mr Richards on his LinkedIn.
“I look forward to contributing to this important work and bringing my insights as a local business owner to the task force,” he stated.
Humpty Doo Barra sells between 100-110 tonnes of stock a week, almost exclusively to Australian buyers.
Local outlets selling the product include Wharf One, The Hilton, Shenanigans, The Beachfront, Pink Chopstix, Saffrron, Madame Za and Snapper Rocks.
103. Jason Schoolmeester
With more than a quarter of a century experience in the NT Public Service, Schoolmeester has survived several changes of government, where many others have not.
A Certified Practising Accountant, his first government gig was in the dying days of last century when he was appointed principal analyst, financial management reforms with NT Treasury.
He was made a senior policy officer with the chief minister’s department in 2010 and then when the CLP ousted Labor in 2012, he was appointed major projects director and then executive director of economic development.
He was made Major Projects Commissioner by Michael Gunner in a high-profile 2021 announcement and when the CLP swept Labor aside last year and dumped the commissioner’s model, he was appointed to a general manager’s role with the Office of Territory Co-ordinator.
His fingerprints are all over a number of major NT projects including the Alice Springs to Darwin railway, the Darwin Marine Supply Base and the Northern Gas Pipeline.
He was born in and is now raising a family in the Northern Territory.
102. Cath Hatcher
Despite straying further from the top 100, Cath Hatcher has never shied away from advocating for health care workers in the Territory.
As the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation NT branch secretary, Ms Hatcher, along with other health care workers, in April protested the potential toxic health risks of the Middle Arm gas and green energy development.
“The Northern Territory has the highest rates per capita of respirator and cardiac diseases as well as the most preterm births and neonatal deaths … “It is an undeniable fact that poor air quality will intensify these issues,” Ms Hatcher said.
“As it stands, our health system is not coping – at the beginning of this year we had 444 full time equivalent nurse and midwife positions vacant.”
And throughout the year she actively advocated for frontline workers who were constantly “doing it tough”.
“They (specialty roles in the emergency department, intensive care unit and renal centres) are doing the hardest to make sure that every patient is accurately looked after and getting all their needs, and they’re exhausted and they’re tired,” Ms Hatcher said in May.
101. Mark Furlotte
Mark Furlotte migrated from the freezing cold of Canada to the balmy climes of the Northern Territory to head Glencore’s McArthur River Mine operation in late 2022.
Before that he headed Glencore’s zinc division from Ontario, Canada and for seven years was general manager of the conglomerate’s Matagami Mine in Quebec.
A metallurgical engineer by profession, he committed the company to protecting cultural heritage and environmental management at the mine to ensure “McArthur River stays healthy and the fish are safe to eat”.
The company was last year in court for illegally working at a “barramundi dreaming” site without proper Aboriginal Area Protection Authority approvals, a legacy issue Furlotte inherited when he took up the role.
Opened by then Prime Minister Paul Keating in 1995, the 30-year-old zinc mine is expected to play a key role in Australia’s energy transition, with the resource essential in the manufacture of everything from road signs to sunscreen to wind turbines.
100. Tanya Egerton
Tanya Egerton made headlines in 2024 as the AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award winner, recognised for her work in sustainability and community empowerment.
She founded the Remote Opshop Project, an initiative that provides economic opportunities for women in remote Indigenous communities while addressing Australia’s fast fashion waste crisis.
Her vision extends beyond this project.
She is now working to establish a network of Reuse and Recycling hubs across the NT, tackling both environmental and social challenges.
99. Michael Buckley
Michael Buckley is a leading figure in the Territory’s building and construction industry, known for his hands-on leadership and commitment to quality.
As the founder of M+J Builders, he has grown the company into a trusted name, setting high standards for innovation and risk management.
In 2024, his influence was recognised when he was named a finalist for the NT News’ Emerging Leader Award.
That same year, he was also appointed to the CLP Government’s Approvals Fast Track Taskforce, a select group working to cut red tape and accelerate development in the NT.
98. Kat McNamara
Kat McNamara made history in 2024 as the NT Greens’ first-ever Member of Parliament in the Northern Territory, elected to the seat Nightcliff.
She took the seat from former Chief Minister Natasha Fyles, and was sworn in on October 15.
In November, McNamara revealed her personal domestic violence survival story as she called for bipartisan action against the “national shame”.
Their progressive voice has garnered a keen following of Territorians who support social justice reform and equality.
With their office in Nightcliff now a hub of activity, McNamara is set to bring a fresh and determined voice to Parliament in 2025.
97. King Stingray
King Stingray’s rise from Arnhem Land to global recognition has been nothing short of extraordinary.
The Yolngu surf-rock band, known for blending indie rock with deep cultural roots, climbed three spots on this year’s list after a massive 2024.
Their sophomore album For the Dreams showcased the band’s growth, and highlighted their dedication to family and culture.
From August to November 2024, they took their sound to North America, playing to crowds of up to 15,000 on a tour across the states and Canada.
With a new band member, Yimila Gurruwiwi, and a national tour set for 2025, King Stingray continues to prove they’re not just a band – they’re a movement, taking Yolngu culture to the world.
96. Len Notaras
Professor Len Notaras has long been a driving force in global health and emergency medical response, and in 2024, his influence only grew.
As Executive Director of the National Critical Care and Trauma Response Centre, he played a pivotal role in shaping crisis response strategies.
Chairing the WHO Emergency Medical Teams (EMT) Strategic Advisory Group, he led high-level discussions in Geneva alongside WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, focusing on medical responses to conflicts and disasters in Gaza, Crimea, Sudan, Armenia, and Turkey.
In November, he delivered a keynote at the 6th EMT Global Meeting in Abu Dhabi, earning a standing ovation for his contributions to global health security.
95. David Connolly
David Connolly may have called time on his three-year tenure as president of the NT Cattlemen’s Association, but he’s still a man with his finger on the pulse.
There’s no doubting he’s still one of the Territory’s top pastoralists and farming innovators holding down the fort as the Tipperary Group of Stations general manager since 2015.
Mr Connolly knows the significance of cattle to the NT economy and stands up for the industry every time against what he sees as government blundering or environmental hand-wringing.
He took on Federal Labor in Canberra for its miserly compensation offer to NT cattlemen for the 2011 live export ban, which fell hundreds-of-millions-of-dollars short of what is owed
He’s also been driving the economy in different ways than cattle with the launch of the Western Australia-Northern Territory cotton gin near Katherine in 2023.
94. Pina Somerville and Darren Lynch
As stalwarts of the Darwin Waterfront Precinct for years, Darren Lynch’s and Pina Somerville’s 2024 proved to be another impressive one for Territory business.
Mr Lynch and Ms Somerville, who jointly ranked 106 in 2023’s rankings, currently run Wharf One and Bella Fresh Pasta in the tourism area, as well as the bustling pub on the corner, The Precinct.
In mid-2024, the business partners kicked off their latest venture, the Dock One Bar, an instant hit that further cemented their dominance in the Waterfront’s hospitality scene.
Courtesy of its nifty design, punters at the outpost can opt to sit out over the harbour and down cocktails while nibbling at tapas.
Their adventure tourism brand has also taken off over the years, starting with 00 Seven Jet Ski Adventures at the Waterfront shortly after the pandemic, before growing to quad biking through the Charles Darwin National Park.
As every year, the business partners still have big plans for the Waterfront including a surf park, tropical snorkelling lagoon and new hotels.
93. Gary Clarke
NT racing hall-of-famer Gary Clarke added to his tremendous list of accolades in another very successful 2024 as a trainer.
The trainer was already a legend of the Darwin racing fraternity but made the job of chasing his legacy down even harder when he won his 12th successive champion trainer title.
The reward was the result of 67 wins from 339 race starts, while he was named the Darwin Cup Carnival leading trainer for the 11th time, with 12 winners across the eight day event.
Alongside him in those victories was stable jockey Jarrod Todd, who achieved his fifth straight title and 60 wins for the season, breaking David Bates’ 1997-98 record.
Clarke Racing Stables are a genuine family affair, with wife Sharlene and daughter Ella both playing prominent roles in the business’ continued success, which makes owners and punters very happy.
92. Richard O’Sullivan
Richard O’Sullivan hasn’t shied away from the big roles in recent years, currently serving as the chairman of the NT Licensing Commission.
The commission has the power to regulate liquor licensing in the NT and is the primary decision maker for liquor licence applicants.
Previously he held down the role as the Darwin Turf Club chairman, overseeing the club unshackling itself from the $12m grandstand debt to the government.
It did however come at a cost, with $6m in funding to be redirected to regional tracks, a move O’Sullivan suggested would have a great impact on the Darwin club.
91. Lis Clarke
Elisabeth Clarke, known universally as Lis, has been Katherine’s mayor since she stepped in as interim in December 2020.
Ms Clarke is an ever-popular face in the town and her community-focused ideas and style has helped bring Katherine together.
She was a local businesswoman who owned a plant nursery with her husband Ian for 30 years and a landscaping business for 25 years, and as such has a vested interest in the town.
She continues to fight for her township whether it’s during uncertain times such as the Covid-19 pandemic, or when crime threatens to tear apart her isolated community.
After four alleged domestic violence murders in the space of four months in the Big Rivers region she penned a letter to local member Jo Hersey expressing concern on the crime epidemic and accused the CLP of not walking the walk.
90. Athina Pascoe-Bell
Following a busy 2024 headlined by various events and projects, the Lord Mayor of Palmerston has crept up the Most Powerful List by two places.
With almost a decade of experience with the City of Palmerston, Ms Pascoe-Bell has turned her eye to making the east side of the Berrimah Line a cost-friendly, vibrant, location for ratepayers.
Perhaps her most popular decision was to scrap parking meters across Palmerston, saving road users hefty fines and fees.
Palmerston’s potential for growth has even caught the eye of federal figures, with opposition leader Peter Dutton announcing in February he would commit more than $350k to the area if elected, in a bid to improve safety and accessibility.
With Palmerston’s population expected to rise, Ms Pascoe-Bell remains a key figure in shaping the future of greater Darwin.
89. Richard Finch
LNG giant Inpex appointed Richard Finch as general manager of its Northern Territory corporate interests in May 2024.
Mr Finch has worked in senior leadership roles across Inpex supporting offshore and onshore operations, exploration, drilling and logistics since 2013.
He originally came to Darwin for a two year secondment, but has managed to become a Top End mainstay in his past six years at the Ichthys LNG plant on Darwin’s Bladin Point plant.
Mr Finch has embedded himself in the community, becoming standing chair of NT Worksafe’s work health and safety advisory council and is involved in school, football, basketball and netball.
He took over from Stuart Knowles, managing about 600 Territorians who work at the plant.
88. Jinson Charls
Fresh on the political scene, Member for Sanderson Jinson Charls enters the Territory’s Most Powerful list after edging former Environment Minister Kate Worden in last year’s landslide election.
Born in Kerala, India, the former nurse was unveiled as the Territory’s Minister for Sport, Disability, Arts.
Mr Charls has also been given the role of Minister for Veterans, Multicultural Affairs, and Youth and Seniors, making him one of the busiest newly-elected politicians.
Mr Charls also proved his willingness to fly the flag for the Finocchiaro Government early into his political tenure, going toe-to-toe with opposition leader Selena Uibo on Katie Woolfe’s program.
87. Penny Priest
One of the Territory’s most influential tourism leaders, Penny Priest joins the Most Powerful List due to holding down various influential roles.
Juggling responsibilities as Crocosaurus Cove chief executive, Tourism Top End director and NT Major Events director, Ms Priest’s stake in bringing the masses to the Territory cannot be understated.
Ms Priest shapes up to be a key figure behind the Finocchiaro Government’s vision to revitalise the Territory’s tourism sector.
Should Ms Priest help draw big numbers to the Red Centre and Top End, it is probable her ranking could rise next year.
86. Peggy Cheong
The executive director of NT WorkSafe has dropped down the pecking order by almost 30 places, however she remains an authoritative figure in keeping work health and safety across the Territory in check.
Some of the high profile cases which required the expertise of Ms Cheong’s team included Outback Wrangler Matt Wright’s ongoing legal saga, as well as forcing Queensland-based cattle company Vermelha to improve its work conditions on its Katherine station.
Most recently, Ms Cheong’s team saw through the conviction of Darwin Construction Company Kalidonis NT Pty Ltd in relation to the death of a worker who died on the job at a barge landing in Maningrida.
The company is now contesting its fine.
85. Craig Trezise
Craig Trezise is a born and bred Territorian committed to helping Darwin grow in both his roles as managing director at Ausblok and as chairman of the Darwin Turf Club.
Mr Trezise has been with Ausblok for the past decade, a firm that both manufactures masonry products and services commercial and private building industries in the NT and beyond.
He’s also an administrator on the sport side of things previously serving as the chairman of the Darwin Basketball Association.
More recently he’s taken on the role as chairperson of the Darwin Turf Club, guiding the club into a new era after a period of turmoil for the board.
Mr Trezise took over the role in 2023 and has already overseen two Darwin Cup Carnivals and the return of the Gala Ball to the Mindil Beach Casino.
84. Sam Burke
As the husband of Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro and the son of former Chief Minister Denis Burke, Sam Burke is certainly well-connected in the halls of power.
But the Northern Territory’s First Gentleman holds significant sway in his own right, as deputy chief executive of the Waterfront Corporation – one of the Top End’s most lucrative and well-known hotspots for business, accommodation and events.
Mr Burke also sits on the board of Place Leaders Asia Pacific, helping to improve public spaces across the region.
83. David Ciaravolo
Chief executive of the NT Amateur Fishermen’s Association David Ciaravolo leads the Territory’s peak body on all matters recreational fishing.
With one in three Territorians regularly wetting a line, recreational fishing should not be underestimated in its influence on the local economy and lifestyle.
Mr Ciaravolo represents the Territory’s multimillion-dollar fisheries sector, dealing with all levels of government and the private sector.
He can take no small amount of credit for both sides of politics committing to gillnet fishing bans – a cause long-championed by AFANT.
82. Charlie King
Charlie King’s expertise both on and off the field makes him one of the most respected names in sport, both in the Territory and across Australia.
Mr King is a veteran sports broadcaster, and as a Gurindji man became the first Indigenous Australian to commentate at an Olympic Games in 2008.
He’s also a dedicated human rights campaigner, founding the zero-tolerance domestic violence campaign ‘NO MORE’.
In 2015, Mr King was awarded an Order of Australia Medal for his service to broadcast media and the Indigenous community, and in 2019 was named NT Senior Australian of the Year.
81. Glen Hingley
Mr Hingley missed out on a spot in last year’s Most Powerful list due to a brief stint defecting to Far North Queensland.
He’s now back in the Territory and has secured a position comfortably within the top 100 thanks to a new role leading Northern Territory Chamber of Commerce as interim general manager.
It’s at a time the Chamber is undertaking a major strategic review, meaning Mr Hingley has a chance to make a lasting mark on the influential business lobby.
We also have to credit Mr Hingley (and his former team) for developing the NT Cruise Tourism Strategy 2022-25 when he was Tourism Top End general manager.
The Top End has posted record cruise ship numbers in the past years, with even larger take-up expected in 2025, bringing real dollars into the NT economy.
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