Digital Transformation Agency losing more technology innovators

But the agency has appointed a new Chief Digital Officer, filling the role left empty by the stormy exit of founding chief Paul Shetler last year.

The resignations of some of the agency's top women, first reported by online trade journal InnovationAus, has the sector talking, with the abrupt recent departures of Digital Marketplace chief Catherine Thompson and service design executive Leisa Reichelt.

The resignations follow that of Rachel Dixon, who was leading the flag-ship digital identity program, six weeks ago.

Ms Thompson and Ms Reichelt were the last of the senior management team hired by Mr Shetler before the agency's restructure, new name and change of direction in 2016.

It was reported elsewhere that the DTA has lost up to 35 of its the top performers in the wake of Mr Shetler's departure, amid acrimony and recrimination, in November 2016.

Mr Shetler was forced out of his role at the top of the organisation after a series of turf wars with Canberra departments and their bosses, who resented the then-DTO's disruptive approach to public sector digital transformation.

InovationAus reports that the future of the high-profile Digital Marketplace and the digital identity programs are now uncertain after the resignations of Ms Thompson and Ms Dixon.

But the DTA says it remains committed to the Digital Marketplace, a program that aims to open up government contracts to smaller and medium-sized firms who currently struggle to compete with bigger players for federal government jobs.

In better news for the agency, its chief operating officer Peter Alexander has landed the organisation's new chief digital officer job, a role that has been empty since Mr Shetler's departure.

Mr Alexander was recruited to the agency from Treasury and worked for several years at the Australian Government Information Management Office's online services branch.