Immigration snaps up one-time gov.au lead

The Digital Transformation Agency has lost acting chief investment officer and former head of its dumped single government website project Radi Kovacevic.

Kovacevic had been at the agency since the start of 2016, when he was poached from the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet to oversee the development of gov.au.

But the project was deeply divisive among key service agencies, and was swapped out for a broader digital channel strategy - aimed at minimising unnecessary websites - just prior to the agency's drastic restructure late last year.

He was one of the last remaining senior executives from former CEO Paul Shetler's time at the agency, following the departure of digital marketplace head Catherine Thompson, and head of service design and user research Leisa Reichelt last month.

A DTA spokesperson told iTnews Kovacevic will now head up the Department of Immigration and Border Protection’s strategy, architecture and innovation branch within its major capability division, where he will be responsible for supporting the department’s technology capabilities.

He will join the department just as Immigration chief information officer Randal Brugeaud leaves to oversee the Australian Bureau of Statistics' $250 million IT transformation.

The spokesperson said former NAB banking executive turned consultant Craig Rice would take on Kovacevic's role in the interim.

The agency is planning to advertise the position and a number of other senior executive roles shortly.