Dr Frank Daly is the new chief executive officer of the Department of Chief Minister and Cabinet, Chief Minister Natasha Fyles has said, with his appointment following on from the sudden resignation of former CEO Jodie Ryan in May, as part of the fallout from former chief minister Michael Gunner’s shock resignation the week before.

Ms Fyles said in a statement Thursday morning Dr Daly had been appointed NT Health CEO in May 2021, and had more than 30 years of executive experience in both public and private sector roles, including more than 10 years in senior executive roles in the Australian public sector.

She said Dr Daly came into the new DCM&C chief executive role following an extensive recruitment process, and Dr Marco Briceno, the current NT Health chief medical officer, would act as the NT Health boss while the government recruits a new Health CEO.

Dr Daly made news in June when AMA NT president Robert Parker told ABC Radio that department heads at two of the Territory’s largest hospitals would be sacked and forced to reapply for their positions, and believed the mass sackings were being carried out by Dr Daly to “punish the medical staff for what they perceive as a significant failure”, including the increased pressure on services in the emergency department and double-bunking of patients.

The Territory Government confirmed NT Health was being restructured and senior doctors would need to reapply for their jobs, and that the process would allow “amazing new leaders” within NT Health to apply for the roles.

On November 1 last year, Dr Daly sent an email to staff saying internal investigations identified “key areas of concern” to do with nepotism and conflicts of interests in procurement, but the department has refused to say what led to the investigations or what has happened as a result of them.

He said there were problems managing conflicts of interest in recruitment of family and friends and in procurement.

In late December, he sent an email to staff informing them they will be sacked on Christmas Day if they were not double-vaccinated, and issuing a gag order that they must not discuss the issue with their work colleagues to “safeguard the integrity of the process”.

“Please be aware that in order to safeguard the integrity of the process, any matters which are subject of the process are to remain confidential,” he wrote.

“Consequently, you are directed not to discuss this with your work colleagues, other than your union or support person.”

Dr Daly faced controversy in Western Australia in 2017 when the media reported a review of staff morale at Princess Margaret Hospital found a “fundamental failure of leadership” with staff feeling a sense of “chaos” and a fear of speaking out.

The ABC reported the review findings were released by the WA Government soon after the resignation of Dr Daly, who was the head of WA’s Child and Adolescent Health Service.

At the time Australian Medical Association WA president Omar Khorshid said Dr Daly’s position had been made very difficult with the report’s findings.

“There was fairly direct criticism of the executive team and how they’ve run the institution,” he said.

Dr Daly had reportedly said in an email to staff he was stepping down to “pursue other opportunities” in WA, and recognised it had been a “tough time for all staff “.

Jodie Ryan announced her departure from the role of top public servant on May 17, with Kathleen Robinson acting in the role since that time.

It was unclear whether Ms Ryan was asked to resign or pushed out entirely.

On May 10, Mr Gunner abruptly resigned as chief minister, citing family reasons, but vowed at the time to stay on to represent his constituents. On July 27 he announced his retirement form politics.

His announcement appeared to catch everyone off guard, despite ongoing rumblings in political circles that he would be stepping down before the end of the year.

Mr Gunner resigned as chief minister while he and his office were under investigation by the Independent Commissioner Against Corruption, independent MLA Robyn Lambley confirmed at the time.

She said she was told by the ICAC that Mr Gunner, and ultimately his office, and his brother-in-law and former chief of staff Ryan Neve, are under investigation for the alleged misuse of public funds involving election campaign trips during the 2020 election.

Ms Ryan was a controversial figure in the role. She was the only government representative on the Infrastructure Development Fund’s board, which awarded $10 million of taxpayer money to a water bottling company that went bankrupt months later and while that company owed the NT Government hundreds of thousands of dollars in back payroll taxes.

She was also wrapped up in the procurement contract scandal in the department in 2019, that saw two of her subordinates inexplicably alter scores of a procurement contract to hire a headhunting agency that ultimately recommended Jamie Chalker as police commissioner.

Ms Ryan also played a key role while under-treasurer in leasing the Darwin Port to Chinese company Landbridge for 99-years, sparking an international incident, when the President of the United States raised concerns with then-prime minister Malcolm Turnbull in 2015 about security implications of the lease.