Listed: Leadership and CEO changes in the Northern Territory since the CLP took power
Nine months is a long time in politics – and a long time at the top, it seems. Here are the major leadership shake-ups and spills in the Territory since the change of government. SEE THE LIST.
With Palmerston Council chief executive Luccio Cercarelli poached by the government after almost seven years, the council appointed long-time local government figure Andrew Walsh to the top job.
Mr Walsh was chief executive of West Arnhem Regional Council, replaced by Katharine Clare Murray in April after a national search.
Victoria Daly Regional Council
Jennifer Marston was appointed as chief executive of the Victoria Daly Regional Council in May, moving across from a recent role as executive director of the Western Australia Public Sector Commission.
She replaced Brian Hylands, who left in January after two years in the job.
Aboriginal Investment NT
Aboriginal Investment NT appointed Nigel Browne as chief executive officer in early March, replacing Elly Patira who left the organisation late last year after almost two years in the role.
AINT administers more than half a billion dollars from the Commonwealth Aboriginal Benefits Account to invest and enable Aboriginal development priorities in the Territory.
Mr Browne moved across from his role as chief of the Larrakia Development Corporation, which is yet to find a replacement.
Legal Aid NT
Duncan McConnel SC resigned as Legal Aid NT chair in May in protest of the government’s ‘captain’s pick’ for a new director.
South Australian barrister Catherine Voumard won the director role, and expressions of interest are open for a new chairperson and commissioner.
Director of Public Prosecutions NT
The head of the government’s criminal prosecutions service Lloyd Babb SC announced his resignation in June, after four years in the role.
Babb was the New South Wales Director of Public Prosecutions prior to his stint in the Territory, and said he intended to return to Sydney with his family.
Independent Commissioner Against Corruption NT
The anti-corruption watchdog was mired in one of the most high profile leadership shake-ups over the past year, with ICAC Commissioner Michael Riches placed on leave last year pending an investigation into his behaviour.
That investigation was returned in May, substantiating claims Mr Riches “acted inappropriately” when he gave special or unwelcome attention to female colleagues.
Days later he resigned.
Acting ICAC Greg Shanahan remains in the role.
NT WorkSafe
Peggy Cheong, the head of the Northern Territory’s work health authority, resigned from her position after more than two years.
It marked the end of almost four decades in the Territory for Ms Cheong, who took up a role with ACT WorkSafe to be closer to family.
Kerry Barnaart, Director Workers Rehabilitation and Compensation with NT WorkSafe, was appointed Acting Work Health Authority while recruitment is underway to permanently fill the role.
NT Planning Commission
Long-serving boss David Ritchie stepped down as head of the NT Planning Commission in May, after eight years in the role.
The commission is an independent statutory authority which sets the strategic framework for integrated land use, transport and infrastructure planning. It is yet to find a replacement for Mr Ritchie.
Aboriginal Land Councils
After months of controversy, the Anindilyakwa Land Council chief executive Mark Hewitt was sacked in October.
Mr Hewitt, a non-Indigenous man, was appointed ALC chief in 2011, and was eventually terminated by the board amid scrutiny by the anti-corruption watchdog, including revelations Mr Hewitt had sought shareholding in a council-led mining project from which he stood to personally benefit.
Former NT Labor minister Matthew Bonson was appointed as the new chief executive in April.
Cherelle Wurrawilya also made history as the first woman to chair the ALC, when appointed in September.
Meanwhile, Yuseph Dean was appointed as the new Northern Land Council chief executive in November, taking over from interim boss Jessie Schaecken.
At the Central Land Council, Warren Williams was promoted to chair in September.
Chief Health Officer
Chief Health Officer Christine Connors retired in March, after dedicating 35 years in the Northern Territory as a public health physician.
Adjunct Professor Paul Burgess is the Acting Chief Health Officer while a recruitment process is undertaken.
Master Builders NT
The building and construction industry peak body lost its fourth chief executive in three years when Damien Moriarty quit in April, just six months into the job.
Master Builders NT is yet to find a replacement.
Somerville Community Services
Lawson Broad left disability support organisation Somerville in September after seven years as chief executive.
Mr Broad – a former Country Liberal Party president – was replaced by another ex-politico in December: former Labor Chief Minister Natasha Fyles.
Darwin Turf Club
Chris Chaffe has taken over the reins of the Darwin Turf Club as its new chief executive officer, announced in March.
The government opened up the chief executive role amid a review into the NT racing industry, and it is unclear whether former boss Grant Dewsbury recontested the job.
Mr Dewsbury took on the role in July 2022 after serving as the chief financial officer in a period of great turmoil at the Darwin Turf Club.
Mr Chaffe, meanwhile, has moved across from the Novotel and Mercure Darwin Airport, where he was general manager.
Darwin Waterfront Corporation
Larrakia elder Richard Fejo quit as chair of the Darwin Waterfront Corporation in November, in protest of the CLP lowering the age of criminal responsibility.
He was replaced by Patrick Bellot.
Football NT
Football Northern Territory president Stuart Kenny stepped down from his role in September after eight years.
Chief executive Bruce Stalder followed suit in January, resigning after almost a decade heading up the Territory’s soccer peak body.
Selina Holtze was selected as interim president after Mr Kenny’s exit – making her the first female and first Indigenous leader of the sport in the NT.
Experienced coach Jamie Monteith moved up from Melbourne Victory to take the chief executive role in March.
Hospitality NT
Alex Bruce left the helm of the hospitality peak body in September after seven years, taking a role on the fifth-floor as the Chief Minister’s chief of staff.
Former political adviser Cathy Simmonds was named Hospitality NT chief executive in November.
Northern Territory Primary Health Network
Non-profit healthcare advocacy organisation, NT Primary Health Network, appointed Paul Connolly as its new chief executive earlier this month.
He replaced Gill Yearsley, who had been in the job for five years.
NT Chamber of Commerce
The NT’s peak business body lost its chief Greg Ireland at the end of last year, having helped guide the industry through the pandemic after his appointment in April 2020.
His replacement, Katherine Winchester, walked back her acceptance of the role just weeks after it was announced.
The Chamber of Commerce announced a strategic review in the wake of Ms Winchester’s backflip, and former Tourism Top End general manager Glen Hingley was appointed as interim chief until a permanent replacement could be found.
Australian Medical Association NT
After more than a decade leading the peak body for Territory doctors, Robert Parker stepped down in June.
John Zorbas was named the new Australian Medical Association NT president – a specialist emergency doctor and intensive care doctor at the Royal Darwin Hospital, and a former AMA Western Australia junior doctor of the year.
Country Liberal Party
Former NT chief minister Shane Stone returned to the CLP as party president in October 2023, helping lead it to a thumping election victory.
Job done, Mr Stone handed over the reins to Natasha Griggs, and moved back to Brisbane to be closer to his children.
Ms Griggs was federal member for Solomon from 2010 to 2016.
Lhere Artepe Aboriginal Corporation
Central Australian Aboriginal corporation Lhere Artepe lost its chief executive Graeme Smith in January.
Mr Smith moved to the top job at Imparja, a remote television station also headquartered in Alice Springs.
Jane Ndove was named acting chief executive at Lhere Artepe, but left after just eight months amid safety risks at the office, the NT News reported.
North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency
Troubles at the top of the Territory’s largest Aboriginal legal aid have made headlines for years: as former chief executive Priscilla Atkins sued for unfair dismissal, and the agency churned through interim replacements.
Ms Atkins reached a settlement with NAAJA in March, walking away with an undisclosed payout and officially resigning from the top job.
Anthony Beven has been acting chief since August, with a permanent replacement yet to be confirmed.
Northern Territory Cattlemen’s Association
Romy Carey has succeeded Will Evans as the new chief executive of the Northern Territory Cattlemen’s Association.
Mr Evans announced in February that he would be moving on after four years at the helm of the cattle lobby.
NT Police Force
Northern Territory Police Commissioner Michael Murphy was sacked in March, after shock revelations he was the unnamed bureaucrat at the centre of a ‘job for a mate’ scandal.
The ICAC had found Mr Murphy conflict of interest management was “incompetent and negligent” when promoting a friend.
Martin Dole was promoted to Acting Commissioner.
Northern Territory Public Service
While most of the leadership shake-ups on this list cannot be linked to the Country Liberal Party taking power last year, some certainly can.
The CLP’s win on August 24 last year heralded a raft of changes in the public service.
During a widespread restructure in September, Karen Weston was removed as chief executive of the Education Department, replaced by her former deputy Susan Bowden.
Marco Briceno was also ousted as head of Health, in favour of former chief executive of the Department of Corporate and Digital Development, Chris Hosking.
Assistant Under-Treasurer Tim McManus was promoted to Under-Treasurer, replacing Craig Graham who took on a “strategic advisory role” to support the development of the Middle Arm industrial precinct.
Former Industry, Tourism and Trade boss Shaun Drabsch left the public service after announcing his retirement earlier this year.
Louise McCormick moved from her role as Infrastructure Commissioner to become the new Infrastructure Department chief.
Suzana Bishop moved across from her role at the NT Major Events Company to lead the newly merged Tourism and Hospitality department.
The government has also announced plans to merge Tourism NT and NTMEC.
Outside of the machinery of government changes, top public servant Ken Davies retired in January after an almost five decade career that culminated as head of the Department of Chief Minister and Cabinet.
He was replaced by Luccio Cercarelli, who had been Housing Department chief executive for just four months.
Meanwhile questions surround the exit of longtime public servant Andrew Kirkman.
After announcing his resignation in April, it was revealed in May the Agriculture and Fisheries chief would continue to be paid by Territory taxpayers until August, when his contract was due to expire.
The Department of Children and Families remains without a chief executive, after Emma White announced her sudden departure in April, a year into the top job.
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Originally published as Listed: Leadership and CEO changes in the Northern Territory since the CLP took power
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