Our Executive Team
Leadership for a full life
UnitingCare’s executive team know our organisation – and the people we serve – through and through, while also bringing a wealth of experience and expertise to their roles. Together they work to ensure that people in our communities can live life in all its fullness.

Craig Barke
Craig was appointed Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of UnitingCare Queensland (UCQ) in 2017. He is a Certified Practising Accountant with an MBA and has extensive experience in financial management roles. Prior to his role as CEO of UCQ, Craig was the CEO of Scenic Rim Regional Council and was former member of the Queensland Urban Utilities Establishment Committee. Craig held a position on the UCQ Board from 2011 and the position of Chair from 2014 until 2017.
Craig is passionate about improving the lives of disadvantaged youth and children in the community and is actively involved in the foster care system as well as being an active member of the Uniting Church.

Craig Wildermuth
Craig joined UnitingCare as Chief Financial Officer in January 2020 after an extensive career spanning ASX-listed engineering and professional services, retail and pharmacy, property development and construction, not-for profit and government organisations.
Craig is an experienced Chief Financial Officer and Senior Executive with a proven track record of creating a vision and building teams that deliver strategic change and business transformation.
Craig is a Fellow CPA, Fellow AICD and holds a BAppSc, MBA, MAppFin and an Advanced Management Programme qualification from INSEAD.

Rev Dr Peter Armstrong
Peter joined the UnitingCare executive leadership team in 2023, after six years as Associate Director of Mission. Peter has worked across community in youth and disability services, education, and the Uniting Church. In his time with UnitingCare Peter has been serving the partnerships between UnitingCare and the Uniting Church - locally, regionally and statewide. Peter is proudly a country bloke with strong connections across regional Queensland.
Peter’s experience across these sectors and within UnitingCare enables him to lead teams to deliver integrated and innovative missional services in a way which will serve UnitingCare as a faith-based and mission-led organisation into the future. Peter is an ordained Uniting Church Minister. He has a Doctorate of Ministry, Post-Graduate Diplomas in Theology and Ministry, a Bachelor of Human Movement Studies (Education) and a recent (2023) graduate of the Australian Company Directors Course.

Susan Heath
Susan Heath joined UnitingCare Queensland as Chief Information Officer in October 2020. Susan holds a Masters of Information Technology and Information Science qualifications from QUT and a Bachelor of Arts majoring in English Literature and History from the University of Queensland. She has more than 20 years’ experience in Executive and Senior Management roles in digital and technology, in both the commercial and government sectors across health, aviation, finance, insurance and utilities, most recently as Chief Digital and Information Officer (CDIO) at Urban Utilities and with Brisbane City Council, Queensland Health, and Brisbane Airport Corporation.

Michael Krieg
Michael was appointed Group Executive of UnitingCare Hospitals in May 2019, following two years as General Manager of UnitingCare’s Wesley Hospital in Brisbane.
A registered nurse by background, Michael has over 30 years’ experience in the health care sector, commencing his career in hospital nursing where he worked across numerous practice areas for 10 years.
In 1999 Michael commenced his executive career and has since held senior leadership roles in both public and private hospitals across Western Australia, Victoria and Tasmania. Michael’s executive-level experience includes serving as CEO of Knox Private Hospital, Mildura Base Hospital, St John of God Ballarat Hospital and at the state-level as CEO of Calvary Health Care Tasmania.
Michael holds a Bachelor of Science from Edith Cowan University and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD), and has completed a number of courses in leadership and management.

Donna Shkalla
Donna has been part of UnitingCare since 2014, leading our Family and Disability Services Practice Improvement and Development team before joining the Executive Leadership Team in 2022.
An experienced leader and social worker, Donna is passionate about supporting and enabling teams to create and deliver services to improve the wellbeing of individuals, families, and communities. As a strategic and transformational leader, Donna explores what's possible - and creates opportunities to make them happen.
Before joining UnitingCare, Donna had a long and varied career in the community services sector, from her early days in Youth Work in Australia to her work in the United Kingdom as a Child Protection Social Worker and Leader to her work as a Social Development Consultant in Kosovo. Throughout her career, Donna has focused on delivering quality services, which are informed and co-created with the people they support and underpinned by research and evidence of what works.
Donna holds a Bachelor of Social Work, Bachelor of Arts (Humanities), Graduate Certificate, and Diploma in Management and is due to complete her MBA. Donna is a Chief Executive Women's (CEW) graduate.

Sue McKean
Sue joined the UnitingCare Executive Leadership Team in 2013, following her appointment as the Director, Risk and Quality for UnitingCare Health. Sue has a diverse range of management experience in the health and community services sector, with a strong focus on company governance and policy development. Sue’s qualifications include a Graduate Diploma in Applied Governance, Masters in Risk Management, Graduate Certificate in Leadership and Management, Graduate Diploma in OHS and a Certificate in Governance Practice. She is also a graduate member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and a Fellow of the Governance Institute and Chartered Governance Institutes of Australia.

Cathy Thomas
Cathy joined the UnitingCare Queensland (UCQ) Executive Leadership Team in 2016, after four years as Director of Services South East, BlueCare. Cathy has worked across many Queensland Health clinical areas and has vast experience in BlueCare through working in clinical, human resources, key management and leadership roles.
Cathy has a Master of Business Administration, Graduate Diploma of Business Management and a Bachelor of Health Science (Nursing) and also completed a Leadership Program at Harvard University.

Shannon Richards
Shannon joined Uniting Care as Group Executive People and Culture in June 2023. Shannon has a depth of experience working in senior human resources roles across the private, public and not-for-profit sectors in health and human services, mining, manufacturing, professional services and local government. Shannon brings to the role extensive executive leadership experience in leading organisations through transformational change, with a true focus on realising human potential. Shannon holds a Bachelor of Laws, Bachelor of Commerce, Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice and Graduate Certificate in Leadership.