Board & Leadership

Franca Facci

Chair

Franca Facci is a highly respected health and community leader with extensive experience in integrated care, multicultural health, and system-wide service delivery across the Illawarra and broader NSW health sector. She brings decades of senior leadership in public health. Serving as Stream Leader for Integrated Care and Priority Populations with the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District, she oversaw a diverse portfolio of services, including chronic care, youth and homelessness, multicultural and refugee health, and virtual care initiatives Franca has demonstrated exceptional capability in leading complex system reform and innovation, particularly through partnerships with primary care and government agencies.

She has also made significant contributions to governance and community leadership, serving as Chairperson of the CatholicCare Advisory Council and in numerous advisory and board roles. Franca is widely recognised for her inclusive leadership, strategic insight, and longstanding commitment to improving health outcomes for diverse communities.

Kieran Biddle

Kieran is a highly experienced legal and governance professional with over four decades of practice in the Illawarra region. Admitted as a solicitor of both the High Court of Australia and the Supreme Court of New South Wales in 1978, he built a distinguished career as Managing Partner of Hansons Lawyers in Wollongong. His legal expertise spans business and property law, estate planning, governance, and advisory work for public companies and statutory bodies.

Kieran’s career reflects strong leadership, having served as a Partner from 1978 to 2014 and later as a consultant until 2019. He has also contributed his expertise to financial services through a part-time role with PCL Finance. Alongside his professional practice, he has maintained a significant commitment to community and not-for-profit organisations.  His governance experience is extensive, including roles as Chairman of the Diocesan Finance Council and a Director of IMB Bank.

Kerry Hunt

Kerry is a highly experienced senior executive with over three decades of leadership in local government and community services. She has built a distinguished career with Wollongong City Council, where she has held a broad range of executive and senior management roles since 2004, culminating in her current position as Director of Community Services. Her experience spans organisational strategy, corporate and community services, economic development, and public relations, reflecting a strong capability in both service delivery and strategic leadership.

She brings significant expertise in driving organisational improvement, aligning strategy with community outcomes, and leading complex portfolios in dynamic public sector environments. Kerry’s leadership has encompassed planning, research, performance reporting, and the delivery of customer-focused services that respond to diverse community needs.

Greg Parrish

Greg is an experienced, CPA‑qualified executive leader with extensive experience in governance, strategy, and not‑for‑profit, church, education and financial services leadership. Greg has held a range of senior leadership roles, including Chief Operations Manager for the Catholic Diocese of Wollongong, where he supported the Bishop in overseeing diocesan ministries, with a particular focus on professional standards and safeguarding.  His earlier role as Chief Executive Officer of the Catholic Education Network saw him lead shared services across multiple dioceses, supporting large-scale ICT and data initiatives that enhanced educational outcomes.

His career also includes executive and finance leadership roles within mutual banking and private health insurance, giving him broad commercial and operational expertise. Greg was the previous Chair of Greenacres Disability Services, reflecting his passion for inclusion, sustainability, and service innovation.

Shanyn King

Shanyn is an experienced health executive and clinical leader with an extensive career in nursing, clinical governance, and health service leadership across the Illawarra Shoalhaven region. She is currently Director of Nursing and Midwifery for the Shoalhaven Hospital Group within the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District, where she leads large, multidisciplinary teams and is responsible for ensuring high-quality patient care and service delivery.

Shanyn brings deep expertise in critical care, having held senior leadership roles including Co-Director of the Critical Care Division, Clinical Operations Manager, and Patient Safety Manager. Her career reflects a strong focus on clinical governance, patient safety, and continuous improvement, underpinned by a commitment to best practice care and staff capability development.

Michael Austin

Chief Executive Officer

Michael has served as Chief Executive Officer at CatholicCare Wollongong since 2014. Prior to this role, he held practitioner, management, and senior executive positions at CatholicCare Sydney. He holds a Bachelor of Social Work, a Graduate Diploma in Couple and Family Therapy, and a Master of Social Work from the University of New South Wales. He is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD).

His previous governance roles include Chair of Family Relationship Services Australia (FRSA), Chair of Catholic Social Services Australia NSW/ACT and an elected board member of Catholic Social Services Australia (CSSA), Chair of the Institute of Counselling, member of the Advisory Board for the Bachelor of Counselling and Behavioural Science at the University of Notre Dame, and member of the Sydney Archdiocesan Catholic Schools Board.

With extensive experience in service delivery, governance, executive leadership, and strategic planning, Michael brings deep expertise in NFP management, people development, and delivering impactful client outcomes across the community services sector.

Tony Eid

Chief Operating Officer

Tony has served as Chief Operating Officer at CatholicCare Wollongong since October 2020. He brings extensive executive experience across a range of sectors, including technology, not-for-profit, banking, wealth management, insurance, motor vehicles, equipment, and fintech.

Throughout his career, Tony has held senior leadership roles such as Chief Operating Officer, General Manager of Delivery and Operations, Program Portfolio Director, and Head of IT. He has led both Business and IT functions, with responsibilities spanning strategy, delivery, operations, governance, and budget management.

Tony is a trusted advisor to executive teams, known for identifying complex business challenges and implementing practical, outcome-focused solutions that drive organisational performance.

Cheryl Tarantola

Executive Manager, Aged Care & Disability

Cheryl is the Executive Manager of Aged and Disability Services at CatholicCare, where she leads the development and delivery of client-centred models of care across both sectors. She brings over 15 years of experience in aged care and disability management, with a strong focus on mental health, clinical care improvements, regulatory compliance, and service innovation.

Before joining CatholicCare, Cheryl managed supported independent living group homes, day centre programs, and led a large multidisciplinary team delivering home care services across Southwestern Sydney. She has a proven track record in aligning strategy with client outcomes, operational design, and the transformation of new models of care and practice.

An Endorsed Enrolled Nurse, Cheryl is passionate about Ageing in Place strategies that ensure continuity of care throughout the individual lifecycle. She currently sits on CatholicCare’s Committee for Older People and is completing a Master of Business Administration through the Australian Institute of Management.

Michelle Ferrara

Executive Manager, Children & Youth Services

Michelle has worked in the social services sector for over 30 years, bringing deep expertise and leadership to her current role as Executive Manager, Children & Youth Services at CatholicCare, a position she has held since 2008. Her previous roles within the organisation include Acting Manager of Out of Home Care (2007–2008) and Team Leader of the School, Student & Family Program (2006–2007).

Michelle currently serves as Chair of the Child Protection Committee and is recognised for her expertise in youth homelessness, case management, family law separation, stakeholder engagement, program development and evaluation, strategic planning, change management, and public speaking. She is also expanding her leadership in early childhood and school aged education and care, overseeing 14 before and after school care and vacation care services as well as Early Learning Centres. 

Michelle holds a Bachelor of Arts (Psychology and Sociology), a Diploma of Education (Primary), and a Certificate in Human Resources Practice.

Roseanne Plunkett

Executive Manager, Family Services

Roseanne is an experienced secondary school teacher and Marriage & Relationship Counsellor who has worked in leadership roles at CatholicCare Wollongong since 2011. She served as Manager of the School, Student & Family Program from 2011 to 2017 and has held the position of Executive Manager, Family Services since 2018.

Roseanne is a values-driven leader with a strong track record in championing innovation in service delivery and business practices. Her expertise includes strategic and business planning, project management, budget oversight, and team development. She is known for her ability to lead staff in putting mission and values into practice across all levels of service.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts, a Graduate Diploma in Education, a Graduate Diploma in Arts, and has completed the Leadership Illawarra Program (Sydney Business College) and the CatholicCare Leadership Program (Australian Catholic University).

Lisa Cameron

Executive Manager, Client Experience, Marketing & Communications

Lisa leads CatholicCare’s client experience, marketing and communications portfolio, bringing more than 30 years of executive experience across global consulting, technology, brand, growth and transformation. Her career has included senior leadership roles with organisations such as Amazon Web Services, Unisys, DXC, Fujitsu, IBM, PwC and Cognizant, where she built a strong track record in strategy, stakeholder engagement, digital transformation and business growth.

A seasoned executive leader, Lisa is known for turning complexity into clear, purposeful and people-centred strategy. She has led high-performing teams, delivered large-scale transformation and strengthened brand, customer and growth outcomes across complex environments. Her ability to connect commercial discipline with human-centred design now supports CatholicCare to deepen its reach, relevance and impact across the communities it serves.

At CatholicCare, Lisa leads the organisation’s approach to brand, client experience, communications and strategic engagement, ensuring the voice of the client is reflected across every touchpoint. She is passionate about building trusted relationships, strengthening community connection and positioning CatholicCare as a credible, contemporary and mission-led organisation that delivers meaningful outcomes for individuals, families and communities.

Moye Prichard

Executive Manager, Finance & Enterprise Development
Public Officer

Moye Prichard is an experienced finance and enterprise development leader with a strong track record in strategic financial management, governance, and operational excellence. Since joining CatholicCare Wollongong in 2018, Moye has held key leadership roles including Finance Manager and Acting Executive Manager, Business Support, before stepping into her current position as Executive Manager, Finance and Enterprise Development.

In this role, Moye provides strategic oversight of CatholicCare’s financial stewardship, leading the development of budgets across diverse funding streams and driving the execution of strategic and operational business plans. Her leadership has been instrumental in launching new service lines and implementing process efficiency initiatives that enhance organisational performance.

Moye’s portfolio also includes responsibility for financial reporting, risk management, governance, internal controls, compliance, project management, and facilities management. She brings over a decade of experience from KPMG, where she served as a Senior Manager, specialising in both internal and external auditing and financial analysis across a range of industries, including the not-for-profit sector, aged care, disability services, banking, education and retail sectors.

Beyond her executive role, Moye contributes to the broader community as a Board Director and Chairperson of Finance, Risk and Audit Committees for several not-for-profit organisations.

She holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting and Management), a Graduate Diploma in Chartered Accounting, and is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand.

Steve Nielsen

Executive Manager, People & Culture

Steve is the Executive Manager, People & Culture at CatholicCare, bringing over 25 years of experience in human resource management across a wide range of industry sectors. His career spans from small to medium not-for-profit community service organisations to large, global public corporations.

Before joining CatholicCare in 2024, Steve held executive-level roles in the aged care sector for five years. Prior to that, he led senior HR and transformation initiatives across industries including pharmaceuticals, information technology, banking, and insurance.

Steve’s signature strength lies in translating People & Culture strategy into practical outcomes that drive organisational effectiveness and performance. He holds postgraduate and tertiary qualifications in psychology, human resource management, training and development, and industrial relations.

Narelle Austin-Eames

Executive Manager, Quality & Risk
Company Secretary

Narelle has served as Executive Manager, Quality & Risk at CatholicCare since July 2021. She brings extensive experience from global, private, and public sector organisations, with a strong background in safety, risk management, and quality systems.

Before joining CatholicCare, Narelle held senior roles including NSW and ACT Safety Manager and Australia/New Zealand Head of Safety (Second in Charge) in a high-risk construction environment. In this role, she led risk-focused initiatives, drove compliance with ISO 45001 standards, and implemented business improvements aligned with global directives.

Earlier in her career, Narelle managed a portfolio of private health, corporate wellbeing facilities, and major public hospitals along Australia’s east coast, supporting teams to achieve accreditation through the Australian Council on Healthcare Standards. Her success in this space led to her oversight of the Victorian portfolio for Home and Community Care Standards.

Narelle holds a Bachelor of Information Technology, a Master of Business Administration, a Certificate IV in Work Health and Safety, and qualifications as an Internal Investigator (ICAM) and Internal Lead Auditor. She recently completed the Company Directors Course through the Australian Institute of Company Directors and is a member of both the Risk Management Institute of Australia and the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Hiep Nguyen

Executive Manager, Information Technology

Hiep is the Executive Manager, Information Technology at CatholicCare Wollongong, bringing over 30 years of experience in the banking and finance industry. He is a delivery specialist with a strong track record of leading and delivering complex, multi-program initiatives involving strategic and transformational change.

Known for his ability to bridge the gap between business and technology, Hiep delivers detail-oriented solutions that align with organisational goals. His career spans multiple business units and functional areas within highly regulated environments, where he has demonstrated expertise in team leadership, stakeholder engagement, and vendor management.

Prior to joining CatholicCare, Hiep held senior roles including Program Director, Program Manager, and Application Service Manager. He is a lateral and strategic thinker with strong analytical and problem-solving skills, particularly in risk mitigation, issue resolution, and prioritising tasks to achieve optimal customer outcomes.

Hiep holds a Bachelor of Science in Information Technology and Mathematical Statistics.Australian Institute of Company Directors.