Former Northern Territory Chief Minister Michael Gunner has resigned from Fortescue Future Industries (FFI), citing personal reasons.
Announcing his decision, Gunner said that working for the iron-ore and green energy group meant more travel away from Darwin and his family, which he had found too difficult.
“I’m taking a bit of time before deciding with the family what I do next and am now reporting for lunchbox duty,” he said in a Facebook post, accompanied by a photo of his young family.
Gunner started as FFI head of Northern Australia in November, after his period of work restriction under the Northern Territory’s Ministerial Code of Conduct expired.
Gunner’s departure marks the most recent exit in a series of leadership changes in Andrew Forrest’s empire. This trend has seen notable figures, such as Fiona Hick, who served a brief six-month tenure as Fortescue Metals’ group CEO, and former Reserve Bank deputy governor Guy Debelle, who resigned after 17 months with the group.
Further, CFO Christine Morris departed just two months into her role.